Home of the Heart
by LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX
Summary: "You've been gone for a few years Dianne." Sue got up from the chair and started going back out to the hallway. "Things have changed." The woman stated before the front door was heard closing, leaving Dianne with her thoughts.
1. Chapter 1

" _Home is the person or place you  
want to return to over and over"- Unknown_

 **ONE**

She liked her surroundings, the multiple shades of green with the forest and ocean surrounding La Push. It was a relief to get away from the busy traffic and multiple people. It wasn't until she was passing the welcome sign to La Push with the window down, fresh air blowing against her face that the feeling of homesickness wrapped around her. She could truthfully say it was a pleasure to be back, though she wished the occasion could have been better.

She had received a call yesterday from the hospital explaining that her mother had a heart attack resulting in a stent implantation. Doctors' orders - the older woman needed care with limited physical activity and emotional support until her next appointment with the doctor to evaluate the progress. Dianne didn't need the advice, she had already been making a list of 'things to do' including buying a plane ticket and taking time off work while the hospital spoke to her.

She drove on the main road, passing the shops and pulled onto the familiar dirt road that bent around the trees. When she came to the end of the road, she smiled at the old, blue two-story house in front of her. Her childhood home had stayed the same over years but the peeling paint told her that it could do with some loving.

Taking note of the car beside her, she saw her mother wasn't the only thing that hadn't change. Sue Clearwater's car was parked beside her newly rented one, Dianne could remember getting lifts' home with the Clearwater's in that very vehicle after school.

Stepping outside of her car, the loud voice from the house told Dianne that her mother was obviously still fussing about her independence with the other woman.

She slowly made her way inside, not bothering to knock on the front door and headed towards the kitchen where she could hear the two women arguing about something. _"I can make the tea."_ Her mother's voice once again reached her ears as she rounded the corner to see the two woman head to head with the hot kettle sitting on the stove between them.

"Aren't you meant to be in bed?" Dianne said, leaning against the kitchen doorway.

Both women turned to stare at her, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable under their gaze. "Dianne, it's good to see you!" Sue was the first to react, moving to pull the woman into a hug. "Gosh, hasn't my niece grown into a fine woman." She said, scanning the length of the young woman.

"Didn't expect you to come." The standoff tone of her mother was exactly what Dianne had been expecting. The last time they had seen each other, they'd been at each other's throats arguing – Dianne wanted to move away, experience something more than a small town while her mother thought it was best to stay in La Push.

"Irene!" Sue hissed in her sister's direction, not wanting the mother and daughter to get into a heated conversation and push her niece from them once again. "I asked her to come."

"I'm making myself tea." The woman stubbornly answers and turned to the kettle on the stove. Dianne didn't need her nursing degree to know that her mother wasn't in the best of shape - the shake of her hands and dark circles under her eyes told the truth. Dianne never really thought as her mother been old, even with her being the oldest sister but she could see the signs of aging now.

Dianne didn't ask, she simply did and moved forward to pick up the kettle before her mother could. She expected some fighting words to be thrown at her but Irene simply gazed at her with an expression she couldn't describe before taking a seat at the dining room table.

She finished the task of making the cup of tea, remembering the spoon of sugar to satisfy Irene's sweet tooth before placing it in front of her mother. "I'd like to stay with you for a couple of weeks." She whispered the words, not sure of the response she would be given.

"That…would be nice." Irene replied slowly, knowing that no matter the words said between them, Dianne would always be her baby girl. "You still have your bedroom upstairs."

The woman returned to her cup of tea and Dianne gave a small smile to Sue before getting up from the table to collect her belongings from the rental car.

With a bag in each hand, she climbed the stairs and smiled at hearing the creaking steps. Being a child, she could remember trying to sneak down the stairs without getting caught for a glass of milk at night or in her teenage years, it was sneaking out with Leah.

Walking to the end of the hallway, her bedroom door was closed and she slowly opened it to find nothing had changed within the room. Her blue and purple double bed still sat in the middle of the room, along with her bookcase of novels and the desk that she had used during her school years. She put her bags down on the end of the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress. She brushed her fingers on top of the bedside table to find not a speck of dust around the room, telling her that her mother has visited her room.

The heavy footsteps on the stairs made a smile appear on her face, she doubted that her aunt or mother could make that much noise. She turned her head expecting to see her scrawny little cousin but did a double take at the guy standing in her doorway with a large smile. " _Seth_?" She questioned, the goofy smile telling her who it was while the body wasn't the boy she had left behind. "What did you do? Lift logs while I was gone?" She joked before getting up and pulling him into a hug, once again surprised by the strength of his arms around her body.

"Not looking to bad yourself." He joked back.

"I still like to go running in the morning." Dianne answered, taking a seat back on the mattress. "Nothing's changed in here." She glanced at the wardrobe, having no doubt the clothes she had left behind would be in there.

"Can you still cook those crepes?" Seth questioned, a wicked look appearing in his eyes as he filled in the silence surrounding them.

"Yesss." Unsure of what her cousin was planning until he raised his eyebrow. "You mean now?" She replied.

" _Now_ would be great!" He threw her another one of his goofy smiles and she rolled her eyes before getting up from the mattress and started for the stairs. "Hell yeah!" Seth muttered to himself as he quickly followed behind her.

She was in the kitchen getting the ingredients ready, her eyes constantly flickering to the older women sitting in the sun outside on the bench. "She'll get better with you around." Seth promised, having seen his cousin check outside multiple times.

"Do you think she'll forgive me?" Dianne quietly asked. Her mother wasn't only stubborn in her nature but she was a very traditional person and believed in supporting the town community.

"With time." At Seth's wise words, she looked down at her hands and wondered if two weeks would be enough to start healing the frail relationship.

Clearing her throat, Dianne opened the fridge and had a look at the fruit inside. "Bananas or Strawberries?"

"Strawberries." Seth replied instantly, making Dianne remember the times when he was a toddler and would eat a whole punnet of strawberries by himself. It seems his favorite fruit hadn't changed over the years.

Opening the container, she put the strawberries in the sink to wash them. "I see mum is still growing her own food." Another fond memory, sitting outback with her cousins and munching on the sweet fruits.

She turned back to the sink and twisted the tap on though no water came from it, it simply made a clunking sound that rattled through the walls. "Is that normal?" She looked behind her to Seth who negatively shook his head. "Maybe we should-" The cold water tap suddenly popped off, putting a hole in the plaster of the roof while water poured out of the tap hole like a fountain. Dianne quickly grabbed the tea towel and tried to put pressure on it, it did little to help with the situation. "Go turn off the water!" She yelled at Seth and he was out the front door within minutes.

Moments later, the pressure underneath her hands turned to a leak and she blew her wet hair from her face. "Did it work?' Seth came back into the kitchen only to start laughing loudly at the state of his cousin in her soaked clothes.

"It's _not_ funny." She stated, trying to frown at the boy only to feel a small smile twitching at the corner of her lips.

"What happened!?" Sue's voice called from the front door as the two women made their way into the kitchen.

"Di decided to have a water fight." Seth joked, a large smile on his face at the unimpressed expression from his older cousin.

"There's a hole in my roof." Irene stated, making everyone's eyes glance to the roof where the tap sat caught in the plaster. Dianne gave one look at the roof and winced, knowing she wasn't making the best impression with her mother. Taking a chance, she looked in the direction of the older woman and actually found a small, hidden smile on her face contrasting to her dry words.

"How about we have dinner at my house tonight?" Sue suggested in which her sister agreed, knowing they wouldn't be able to turn the water on.

"I'll organize someone to come around to fix the pipes." Dianne tried to remember anyone locally who did plumbing.

"I've got a friend who would be willing." Seth answered, he gave the older women an expression that Dianna didn't understand before walking out of the house without a further word.

"I guess, I'll go get dry." The young woman received a nod from her mother before she started up the stairs, trying to skip the puddles of water on the kitchen floor as she went. "And I'll get the mop when I come back down."

She quickly made her way upstairs, going to the hallway cupboard for towels when the door handle came loose in her hand. "You've got to be kidding me." She muttered under her breath, the house was falling apart. She managed to open the hallway door and get a fresh towel before making her way into her bedroom with the door handle in hand.

Opening one of her suitcases, she pulled out another pair of jeans and a shirt. She quickly dried her shoulder length hair with the towel and threw it up into a messy bun before walking downstairs. She opened the storage area under the stairs and pulled out the mop and bucket as she made her way into the kitchen.

Dianne was caught by surprise by the person laying on their floor with their head stuck underneath the kitchen sink, she didn't expect someone to be around their house _that_ quick. Her eyes run from the bare feet to the cut off shorts and muscular stomach, it was defiantly a male underneath there. He was laying on his back and her eyes went straight to the V line of his lower abdominal muscles, making a shaky sigh escape her.

"That should be right." The strong voice answered from under the sink, he pulled himself out from underneath and caught sight of the woman gazing at his body. He couldn't help the grin on his face at the effect he had on the woman.

She felt a blush cover her cheeks at the knowledge she'd been caught gazing at the man in front of her, and looked down at the mop in her hands for a moment before finally getting the courage to look the man in the face. She was caught by surprise by how much she liked the curve of his lips, the grin on his face. It wasn't until she reached his chocolate coloured eyes that she felt somewhat out of breath, and for some reason, she felt as if she had some kind of connection with this stranger. "Thanks." She finally managed to whisper while the man simply stared at her. Just as quickly, the grin on his face fell and a hardness overtook his eyes along with his tense body. "What do I owe you?" She asked hesitantly, wanting the previous grin to return to his face.

"It's on the house." His voice came out rough as he made his way to the hallway, not bothering to look back as she took in his shaking body. She felt compelled to follow him, her feet trailing behind him into the hallway as he made his way out the door quicker than her.

The slam of the front door barely missed her as it thundered throughout the house, making an unknown coldness spread through her.


	2. Chapter 2

" _Home is where the heart is…_  
 _not necessarily where you sleep"- Chloe Neill_

 **TWO**

Dianne stood staring at the wooden door for a few moments in bewilderment before shaky taking a seat on the couch in the lounge room. She felt slightly breathless, almost like she'd been hit by a train, it was very uncomfortable, to say the least.

"Hey." Sue came into the lounge, taking a seat across from Dianne on the single chair. "Are you alright?"

"Who was _that_?" The young woman demanded, resting her arms on her knees to lean forward. "The one who fixed the sink." She nodded her head in the direction of the kitchen. When Sue didn't answer she looked up to find the woman gazing at her. " _What_?" She asked feeling slightly irritated at the strange emotions swirling in her.

"How are you feeling?" Sue asked seriously.

"Who was _that_ guy?" Dianne emphasized, wanting some kind of answer. "And where is Seth?" The young man had suddenly disappeared.

Sue hesitated for a moment. "Seth went to help Paul out with something."

"Something?" She leaned back into the couch, not getting any detailed answers except for the man's name. "And when did Seth start hanging out with older guys?"

"You've been gone for a few years, Dianne." Sue got up from the chair and started going back out to the hallway. "Things have changed." The woman stated before the front door was heard closing, leaving Dianne with her thoughts.

Getting up from the couch, Dianne slowly made her way into the kitchen and grabbed the mop to start collecting the water on the floor with an oncoming headache forming.

Sitting in the lounge room at the Clearwater's seemed like a flashback into the past, though the atmosphere was very different. Usually, there would be laughter with Harry talking about his fishing trips, Seth with a controller in hand and eyes on the video game while Leah threw comments at him and Sue cooking in the kitchen. Now, she could hear Sue along with her mother in the kitchen talking quietly and she sat in the lounge alone, Seth had been missing in action for the rest of the afternoon and she had yet to see Leah.

Feeling out of sorts, she got up and went to walk outside for some fresh air. She took a seat on the stairs outside the back door and tried to wrap her mind around the last few hours.

She looked out to the forest, hoping to find comfort from the greenery. She started contemplating about going for a run to push away some of her clouded thoughts when something in the tree line caught her attention. She stood up and took a step forward, trying to get a better look into the forest when her cousin suddenly came storming out of the trees. " _Leah_?" She asked taken off guard by the long legs, full bust and short hair of her cousin.

"Don't even get me started on you!" Leah spat in her direction, almost pushing past her to get inside the house.

"What…" Dianne tried to make sense of what had just happened and how saying the woman's name could get a reaction like that. "What did I do?" She asked to no one in particular as she stood alone in the backyard staring at the back door of the house.

"She's just a bit touchy at the moment." A male voice said behind her.

Dianne turned to see Seth coming from the forest as well. "What?" She questioned once again, noticing now how similar her cousins were in their body built and fashion taste.

"Something happened with the…" Seth searched for the right word without saying too much. "With the group."

There is was again, the word 'something' that was a very vague term. "This wouldn't have anything to do with that Paul guy?" She tried to put as much hatred in the name as possible but it sounded pathetic in her own ears.

"You've forgotten about our history." He simply said, moving closer to his cousin. He wanted to tell her the truth so badly but he didn't want to overstep any boundaries with the pack _or_ Paul.

"Our history?" She exclaimed, history wasn't her strongest suit.

"The stories, the myths." Seth whispered to her before passing to get inside the house.

She merely stood in her spot, staring at the damp dirt underneath her runners. "But they're myths." She didn't get what the myths' had to do with her families' strange behaviour.

To say that dinner that night was tense would be an understatement, the family of five sat around a rectangle table in the dining room - The food was great, it was simply the company.

There was hardly any conversation, Seth was busy eating and Dianne couldn't believe the amount stacked on his plate, then there was Leah who hadn't taken her eyes off her cousin. It hurt Dianne to see such loathing in Leah's eyes, they use to be joined at the hip. She didn't expect this type of reaction from her cousin when she returned to La Push.

"So Dianne, how long are you planning to stay?" The question came from Sue sitting on the other side of the table.

"A couple of weeks." Her answer received a disbelieving sound from Leah who simply shook her head.

"Good luck with that." Leah snapped at her, finally turning her eyes to her food.

"Leah." Sue looked at her daughter, giving her a warning look.

"I'm sure you could stay for longer." Seth spoke up, trying to ease the tension between the women and not think about the short time frame that his cousin had given him.

"I can't just drop all my shifts at the hospital." The woman replied, she had her own life outside of the small town and bills to pay.

"Maybe you should start thinking about it." Leah snapped out a reply, earning herself a sharp glare from her mother.

" _Leah_ , that's enough." Sue abruptly said to her daughter.

"It's alright Aunt Sue, I think I'll retire for the night." Dianne got up from the dining room chair, pushing it in.

"Don't be ridicules Dianne." Sue answered from the other side. "And how will you get home?"

"I'll walk." She replied, thinking her way of transport was oblivious as they came in Sue's car. "Thank you for dinner."

"You can't walk around at night." Sue argued, making the other woman confused to the reason why she shouldn't, they use to walk everywhere as teenagers.

"It's La Push, nothing happens here." Her statement made Leah let out a humorless chuckle. Dianne glanced at her mother to see her simply watching her. Before anyone else could get a word in, she went to collect her handbag from the hallway.

She hadn't gotten halfway down the driveway of the Clearwater's when Seth suddenly turned up at her side. "Wait up! You shouldn't be walking about by yourself." Seth advised when he caught up with his cousin.

"It's La Push." She repeated, feeling like her family wasn't telling her everything.

When Seth didn't go on to say anything else or explain what had caused everyone's behaviour towards her, she spoke up. "Are you going to tell me anything?" She cast a look at Seth to see his head down and hands in his pockets. "I know there is something you're not telling me." She voiced out her thoughts.

"It's in the myths." Seth mumbled.

"I'll find out myself." Dianne said, sick of hearing about the myths and started to walk further up ahead.

"Keep to the road." Seth advised to the woman, stopping in his tracks to watch her continue on the walk home. He thought about following, unfortunately, he was really tempted to just _tell_ her, so he did the next best thing in this situation.

Taking one last glance at her, he made a run for the forest, stripped and quickly shifted into his wolf to follow her from the tree line. Shifting, he was immediately greeted by Embry and Paul who happen to be running the perimeter of La Push. Ever since the pack had gotten news from the Cullen's about the vampire army building up in Port Angeles, they'd been keeping tabs on the perimeter every minute of every day.

The whole situation put the pack on edge, having to work with the Cold Ones and the two newest wolves, Colin and Brady, joining the pack. And to add icing to the cake, Paul imprinted in the middle of it all.

Seth could feel the tug of pain from his pack brother about the distance between his imprint. Paul wanted the space because he didn't want to make Dianne a target for the vamp army. On the other side of the coin, his mind was screaming for him to protect her, which was one of the reasons why Seth couldn't let his cousin walk around at night. " _What's wrong?"_ Paul's question was directed at Seth as the fellow wolf could hear his thoughts.

" _Di's walking home…"_ Seth hesitated with the word because he knew Paul was tenser than usual with the threat of a Cold Ones coming into their town and his new, sudden feelings storming within him. " _Alone."_

" _I'm coming."_ Paul's voice was filled with irritation but Seth swore he heard a hint of something else. " _Don't you dare take your eyes off her."_ The older wolf commanded before Seth realised that Paul wasn't wasting any time in running from the other side of the La Push perimeter to watch her.

Dianne was relieved that Seth had turned back, her thoughts were jumbled from the family dinner. She didn't expect it to be easy coming home, maybe La Push would expand in its population, instead it seemed the place stayed the same and the people, her family made her feel like an outcast.

She had no doubt that Aunt Sue would drive her mother home, she was surprised that the woman hadn't put in her point of view with the Clearwater's bickering at each other. Her mother had simply watched her with interest, a knowing gaze in her eyes that infuriated Dianne. If she hadn't noticed the shaky hands when she entered her childhood house earlier today, she wouldn't have known that her mother had visited the hospital.

On top of that, she was surprised that Irene hadn't brought up the limited time that she had in La Push, then again Leah seems to have the sarcastic comments for the both of them. Which led to another issue - She could never remember her cousin been sour towards her, they were like sisters and Dianne had left on good terms with her older cousin. Once again, she felt that everything was connected to whatever her family was holding back from her.

The walk from the Clearwater's to her childhood house wasn't that far, it was once she reached the start of her driveway that Dianne got the tingling feeling at the back of her neck and the twist in her stomach. She had learned over the years that it was wise to trust her gut, when she ignored it something horrible always happened. And this time, she could feel the eyes watching her.

She glanced over her shoulder to find nothing, the streetlights did little to light up the roadside and left blind spots. Beside her was the forest but she knew that her sight wasn't well enough to see the forest without walking over there and she didn't wish to confront the person – she was a lover, not a fighter, hence the nursing.

Dianne quickened her walking pace along the gravel driveway, knowing if she ran that it would simply make her the prey. She was almost at the front door when a howl rippled through the forest, sounding too close to Dianne's liking. With a thumping heart and heavy breathing, she ran the short distance to the front door and slammed it behind her, making sure to turn the deadlock for her peace of mind.

Standing still for a moment, she tried to even her breathing which proved to be difficult with the adrenaline rushing through her veins. She tried to think back to their childhood when she'd gone to the forest with Seth and Leah, never once had they seen or heard wolves in the area. Maybe the wolves were a new resident in the forest…or _the myths -_ Seth's voice echoed in her mind.

With the adrenaline pumping through her, she quickly made her way down the hallway to the lounge room. Walking across the floorboards, she went straight to the bookcase – she knew exactly what book to find as she'd seen it multiple times during her childhood between Harry and Irene sharing the stories of their heritage.

Searching through the large bookshelf, she couldn't find any titles that carried meaning to the myths. She felt her shoulders hunch as she remembered Seth telling her multiple times today that the myths would hold the answers to the secrets that her family was holding from her.

She couldn't find anything along those lines unless you counted the National Geographic books on 'The Hidden Life of Wolves' or the 'National Parks of United States'. She briefly flicked through them, finding nothing that linked to her culture of the Quileute tribe.

There was one other place that the book could be – the attic.

As a child she could remember the strict rule that her mother held, she wasn't allowed to enter the attic until she became of age. She'd seen her mother, Irene enters the room for hours on end while she did chores around the house or went to bed at night.

Dianne had once looked through the attic keyhole when she was younger. The large, leadlight window on the other side of the door allowing the light to filter through the attic but it revealed nothing, the room was empty to her.

She'd asked her mother about the empty attic that evening, only to receive washing duty for a week so Dianne never brought it up again. Dianne may have seen a vacant room but her mother still continued to enter the room for long periods of time.

She was always curious of the attic, even at the turning of her eighteen birthday then her twenty-first had gone by without an introduction to the attic. It was probably the turning point where she decided to move forward, leave their small town instead of getting trapped like her mother who spent hours in the room. That's when the arguments with her mother begun, resulting in the tension in their relationship now.

Alone in the house, Dianne made the choice to let her curious nature overrule sense and made her way up the stairs to the second floor. She passed the bedrooms and bathroom to reach the last doorway of the house. Taking a calming breath, she reached forward and twisted the doorknob to find it halted in its movements – it was locked.

She never once thought her mother would lock the door, none of the doors in the house were ever secured shut with a key. Figuring it was useless, she turned away from the door to feel a pulling in her stomach making her turn back with a wary expression.

Walking back to the door, she placed her hands on the wood to feel it pulsing underneath her fingertips – calling to her. She traveled her hands to the doorknob still heavy in place while she kneeled to see through the keyhole.

Glancing inside, she found herself straining to see the objects in the darkness of the room until a flicker of moonlight shined through the window. She caught sight of a stand that was heavy with a book, a chest sitting at the base while the walls were littered with novels and jars.

There were other objects in the room but she couldn't see it clearly enough in the moonlight. She tried squinting through the keyhole to get a better focus, only to find a gust of wind blowing from the door. The strength of the wind made her lose balance at the keyhole and she fell backward onto her buttocks in a daze. "What was _that_?" She questioned to the quiet house.

A howl rippled through the house again, sounding way too close for comfort. She crawled backward away from the door, then stood up to head back downstairs to the kitchen. With the howling and attic this evening, she needed something to clear her head. Her grandmother always made lemongrass tea to comfort the mind.

Going to the kitchen bench, she lit the stove top with a match and placed the kettle on the fire before reaching for a cup on the shelf. She tried to ignore the shake in her hand as Dianne put the tea bag and milk into her cup.

It was the first day back in La Push, every hour of the afternoon to have its own twist that related back to her family, her life.

She poured the hot water into her cup and took the tea over to the dining table, wrapping both her hands around the cup to capture the warmth it provided.

Her mother's health.

The mysterious Paul.

Leah's attitude towards her.

The howling in the forest.

The locked attic that called to her.

She felt her shoulders fall at the weight, mentally feeling drained with the day. She took a sip of the tea, letting the bittersweet taste assault her senses and ease her mind. Getting up from the dining table, she finished the cuppa and put it in the sink before slowly making her way back upstairs.

As she turned to her bedroom door, she could feel the pulling at her stomach once again - calling her. She glanced over her shoulder, down the hallway where the door still remained tightly closed. Taking a deep breath to calm her stomach, she turned her back to the attic door and continued into her bedroom to head straight for the mattress.

The aching in her chest that was ever present since this afternoon caused her to take a shaky breath, she raised a hand to her chest trying to ease the ache that formed without reason. The action gave no relief to her as she reached the bed.

She tugged her shoes and clothes off with little care to where they fell and rolled into bed, letting her body sink into the mattress as tiredness swept through her.


	3. Chapter 3

" _When there is love in the home,_  
 _there is joy in the heart."- Unknown_

 **THREE**

The sun shined through her bedroom curtains causing Dianne to pull the blankets over her head. She felt rested, not remembering the last time she had the chance to simply sleep in instead of rostered at the hospital.

She lazily stretched her limbs on the mattress, a pleasant sign leaving her as she slowly woke up. She glanced around her room, noticing the boy band posters that still littered her walls from her childhood. It reminded Dianne why she was in La Push - her mother's sudden hospital visit.

With bare feet, she got out of bed and put her dressing gown on before heading into the hallway. She had gone to sleep before anyone got home last night, so she went straight to the other bedroom. Opening the bedroom door, she stuck her head through to see her mother asleep in the queen bed. The steady rising and falling of her mother's chest brought relief to her as she closed the bedroom door behind her. She needed to call Aunt Sue, say thank you for looking after her mother the last few days and apologise for leaving dinner.

Dianne ignored the pulling in her stomach that wanted her to turn towards the attic door and headed in the opposite direction, down the stairs to the kitchen. She tried to ignore the nudging at the back of her mind, the curious part of her that wanted to explore what happened last night.

Getting into the kitchen, she put the kettle on the stove and put some bread in the toaster. She rubbed the back of her neck as she waited for the 'pop'. With her eyes at the ceiling, they caught sight of the hole in the plaster. It was the size of a tennis ball, reminding her of the events yesterday and that stranger, Paul. The toast sounded startling her from the ceiling, she went to the fridge for some strawberry jam and milk to make her breakfast.

The front door opened as Dianne sat down at the dining table, Seth walked through the house taking a seat across his cousin. He reached forward and grabbed a piece of toast from her plate, making the woman frowned at the young man. "The toasters right there." She nodded to the kitchen bench, encouraging the man to make his own breakfast instead of eating hers.

"Oh right." Seth left the table, her piece of toast still clamped in his mouth as he headed to the toaster. "Sorry about last night." He mentioned as he put bread in the machine.

Last night – she really didn't want to think about it for multiple reasons because her gut told her that if she pushed for answers, she wouldn't be able to walk back into her life at the hospital. "Don't worry about it." She dismissed his apology, making the young man glanced over his shoulder at her quickening heart rate and the sudden change in attitude to the previous night.

"Did something happen last night?" Seth asked suspiciously, taking notice of his cousin's muscles tensing.

" _No_." Dianne answered quickly, not convincing Seth that the night has been uneventful.

"Are you s-" Seth was interrupted as his Aunt entered the room, the tingling of his skin made him aware of Irene before he could see her, it was always the way with their kind. He had yet to meet anyone outside his family with the gift, his mother knew the basics but nowhere near as advanced as the eldest Quileute.

"Morning children." Irene waltzed into the kitchen, looking refreshed and vibrant. "What's the plan for today?" She asked while putting together her morning coffee.

Dianne was thankful for her mother's interruption, swinging the conversation into another direction. "I was thinking, I'd do a few things around the house."

Irene raised an eyebrow, taking some offense. "The house is in perfect con-" She went to open the cupboard for sugar when the handle came off in her hand. "Nothing a screwdriver won't fix."

"I need to at least repair the hole in the ceiling." The daughter argued, spending time around the house meant keeping an eye on her mother.

"You can't do that." Irene ignored the sugar for her coffee and place the cupboard handle on the counter before joining the younglings. "When did you become a plaster?"

"Doesn't look that hard." Dianne looked at the hole in the ceiling with some doubt, it seemed a little too large and deep for a quick, slap of plaster.

"I know exactly who to call for the job!" Seth bounced out of his seat and flew out the door before either woman could say a word.

Dianne nibbled on her lip in thought. The last time Seth said that, _that_ man came to fix their sink and she prayed to her ancestors that it wasn't Paul. She didn't know if she could handle the overwhelming feeling that she had for the stranger. She glanced up and found her mother watching her with knowing eyes. " _What_?" She asked unimpressed.

"All in due time." Irene left the table, clearing her mug and leaving another unknown for her daughter. With a frustrated sigh, Dianne left the kitchen for the bathroom to prepare herself for the day.

Running the towel through her long hair, she started to make a list in her head. She figured it was safe to say that every knob in the house needed some attention, along with a new light globe in the hallway so she didn't trip over her feet when getting up to the bathroom at night. Which led to another job, the grouting in the shower was falling away from the tiles. Dianne had been surprised that she hadn't flooded the bathroom this morning with her shower, and maybe something for the drains to help with the flow of water. Seemed like she needed a trip to the hardware store in Forks with her growing list.

Placing her wet towel on the hook on her bedroom door, she felt relaxed walking down the stairs in her comfy jeans and sweater instead of her usual dress code of scrubs. She tied her hair into a loose bun at her neck and walked passed the kitchen doorway to make her way to the car. She picked up her handbag from the hallway table when she froze in her spot, backtracking to the doorway, she was breathless once again.

Yes, her stranger had a shirt on this time but that didn't hide the muscles that rippled under the fabric or his biceps while he used the screwdriver to fix the cupboard handle that fell apart in her mother's hand. "What are _you_ doing here?" Her voice came out dazed instead of uninviting.

"Morning Anne." He flashed her a smile and stood up, making her heart pick up as she realized how tall the Quileute was compared to her. "Heard you needed a hand today."

She silently cursed Seth in her mind, she wanted to ignore the events of yesterday including this man's odd behavior. "My name is Dianne, _not_ Anne." She turned on her heel, not wanting the man to see that she didn't mind her name shortened by him. "And I _don't_ need your help." Making her way out the front door, she shouldn't have been surprised that the man was following close on her heels, his steps silent compared to her own.

She tried ignoring him, taking quick steps down the verandah before walking towards her car with a purpose. It wasn't until she saw him on the other side of the car that she questioned him once again. "What are you doing?"

The only hint that Dianne was pestering the guy was the small twitch of his lips, she hoped it was a sign of agitation and not a smirk threatening to come alive. "Coming with you." He simply said, opening the passenger door without a further word. She blew out a frustrated sigh and followed his example, slamming her driver's side door a little harder than usual.

Their car trip was silent since the duo left the house, yet Dianne was very aware of the male sitting beside her. Ripples of security wrapped around her which she thought had to do with the male's body size, and she smelt a hint of the forest with a touch of cinnamon that made her toes curl and her stomach tug in pleasure. She didn't understand the effects this stranger had on her and she'd prefer to ignore it as she would be heading home soon.

They passed the Black's house before Dianne broke the silence, needing a break from her thoughts with the distracting man beside her. "Do you know where we're going?"

"Folks hardware store." He replied without missing a beat, making the woman frown as she hadn't mentioned that to him. "We're fixing the house, seems the most logical stop."

"Right." She whispered, feeling at a loss for words as the car shifted back to another comfortable silence.

Arriving at the hardware store, Dianne was quick to pick up a basket and start for the bathroom section. "We need grout for the shower." She automatically explained herself as she felt him following close behind, he seemed content to let her take charge.

"Shower should be easy enough." She briefly looked at him in question, stopping at the shelf with the grout. "Construction and handyman is what I do." He answered the question in her eyes.

She hadn't really thought about what the man in front of her did for a living, but having that question answered made her want to ask more, more about him. She quickly diverted her eyes from the man to the shelf in front of her. She looked at all the different brands with raised eyebrows, clueless on which brand to get as they all looked the same to her.

Seeing her expression, Paul reached forward and grabbed the container that Sam always had them use on sites and placed it in the basket. "Best quality, even better price." Paul explained his choice to the woman, watching the grateful expression appear on her face.

"Thanks." She said gently before moving on to screws and nails.

The next aisle had two men looking at the supplies, it was the instant attention the Quileute pair received from them that had Dianne stepping back into a slightly shaky Paul. The curly blonde and large brunette were staring at Paul, seeming to have some type of silent conversation between them.

Instinct told her to be wary of the duo, their pale skin and golden eyes had her pushing herself towards safety, straight into Paul. Even though Paul's body seems to be vibrating with tension, she felt herself relaxing in his presence.

The curly blonde's eyes flickered in her direction, an understanding running through his eyes before a small growl vibrated through her from the chest against her back. With a slow nod from the blonde, the two males left the aisle without a word, leaving Dianne feeling anxious with the previous scene. " _Paul_?" She whispered, causing the man behind her to bring his hands to her hips and lean his forehead against her the back of her head.

He took a deep breath, drawing her scent as the shaking lessened and the urge to attack passed him with the presence of the female safely against him. "Screws and nails."

"What?" She asked, her mind feeling cloudy with the male against her.

"We're here for screws and nails." He repeated with more confidence, trying to focus his mind on something else other than the vampires.

"Then plaster for the kitchen." She continued with the list, moving down the aisle with Paul close behind to fill their basket.

Once the duo got home, Dianne kept her mind busy with a screwdriver in hand and tightening the rest of the kitchen cupboards while Paul stood on the ladder to patch up the ceiling hole.

The task helped to distract her thoughts from the hardware store, she wasn't sure what happened but instinct warned her to not take another step. On the other hand, it was the same pressing sensation that wanted her to open the attic door, though she was positive that whatever was behind the door didn't want to harm her.

She finished the cupboards and turned around to see how far along Paul had gotten with the ceiling, he was making quick work on it. Unfortunately, her attention didn't last long on the ceiling as her eyes slid along the length of his body, halting at his stomach where his shirt raised, showing her a clear view of the abs and V line heading downwards. She didn't know how she could be so attracted to someone, she knew it had been a long time since sharing her bed with anyone. Maybe that's all she needed, something to break the dry spell. She knew the man on the ladder would cure that, but he happened to be her cousin's friend which meant _no_ for one night stands.

"Di!" The friendly voice snapped her attention from Paul to see one of her cousins had entered the house – Did anyone knock these days?

"Hi, Emily." She tried to force an easy smile but knew it came out as a grimace. There used to be a time in her life where Emily, Leah, and Dianne were as thick as thrives during their childhood.

Now, it was hard to be in either of their company. Dianne found it difficult to wrap her mind around the fact that it was Sam and Emily, not Sam and Leah. The situation had only made Dianne feel angry towards the male, she didn't understand how Sam could have suddenly left Leah as they'd been high school sweethearts and engaged. Out of respect for Leah, she had kept her time with her other cousin to a minimal. And now, it so happened that Leah had some harsh feelings towards her too that she didn't have a clue about. "What brought you around?" Dianne asked the other woman.

"I came to see how Irene is going and brought something to snack on." Emily held out the container of muffins before Dianne could do doing anything Paul had taken the container from her cousin, receiving a look that clearly said to behave in which Paul ignored while opening the fresh muffins.

Two muffins disappeared immediately, making Dianne realise that she hadn't feed her helper. "I'm so sorry, I haven't even thought about lunch." Paul shrugged his shoulders before eating his fourth muffin. "I'll cook something." She muttered to herself, the words stopping Paul from finishing off Emily's cooking.

She went straight to the fridge and opened it before remembering that they had company. She had gotten used to it being the two of them at some stage during the day. "Sorry Emily, would you like something too?"

The older cousin had a small smile on her lips, fondly gazing at Paul and Dianne. "I think I'll go upstairs and see your mother." She gave the duo another smile before heading upstairs to the attic for her usual appointment.

She frowned at her cousin's behavior but didn't question it further as she came to the realization that Emily was going to the attic. Walking to the kitchen doorway, she watched the attic door open for her cousin and close behind her once she'd step through. "Why hadn't it opened for me?" Dianne asked herself.

The sound a stomach grumbling reminded her of what she'd been in the process of doing. She looked behind her at Paul's stomach but found his attention solely on her, his gaze made her heart pick up once again. "Have _you_ been up _there_?" She questioned while pulling out some eggs and bacon from the fridge.

"Haven't needed to." He leaned against the counter and watched his woman with interest, she seemed curious about the attic but made no step further to enter. "Have you been up there?" He turned the question in her direction and noticed the spike her heart rate yet again.

"Nah, I don't want to." She answered carelessly, like the conversation meant nothing to her but he could hear the lie clear in her voice.

"It _will_ open for you." He stated, having no doubt in his mind that she'd follow down her mother's footsteps. It may have to do with the fact that he wasn't going to back down with her, even if she wished to leave town in a few weeks, he was too selfish to lose this part of his life. Paul hadn't been sure at the time whether he wanted to bite Leah or thank her for informing him of his timeline – he hated deadlines and this was an area he didn't want to rush.

"Well, it _shouldn't_." She argued back, sliding the two eggs on toast and bacon to the man across the table.

Not for the first time today, he bites his tongue trying to hold back what he wanted to truly say. He didn't realise his words would start an argument, it was something he avoided with women who passed through his bed, though _this_ woman was an entirely different story and hadn't even visited his bed, yet. Sadly their conversation made Paul come to the realization - she wasn't ready to know her true heritage or their connection.

 **AN:** Thank you to everyone who has either favorited or subscribed to the story. A special thank you to kuppcake, brankel1, wolf-girl-only-in-my-dreams, Guest and Cadarella for your reviews, it means a lot! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

" _There is nothing like staying  
at home for real comfort" – Jane Austen_

 **FOUR**

Dianne had taken comfort on the couch, her heart feeling heavy since Paul had abruptly left the house after the ceiling hole was plastered over. The tension in his shoulders wasn't hard to miss, making her question her earlier words.

Her thoughts were distracted by the attic door opening, watching Emily make her way from the attic and down the stairs. She watched with interest, trying to see if anything looked different about the woman. As Emily came down the stairs, she couldn't help but notice a vibration around her body, a slight colour waving from her. She squinted her eyes, trying to get a clear picture of the colourful haze surrounding her cousin. "I'll see you tomorrow at the beach." Emily farewelled as she passed through the hallway.

"Tomorrow?" Dianne asked surprised, not knowing anything about plans for the beach.

"Paul didn't speak to you?" The older woman asked with concern flowing in her voice.

"He had something more important to do." Her stomach turning as she thought back to Paul leaving the house suddenly.

" _Oh_." Emily couldn't possibly think of a reason for Paul's departure without mentioning the picnic at the beach. "Well, we're all meeting down at the beach for lunch."

"Maybe, I shouldn't go." She said unsure, her emotions twirling into one another.

"You're all Seth talks about, you know he'd love to spend some time with you." Emily argued, convincing the younger woman to slowly nod her head in agreement.

"Do you need me to bring anything tomorrow?" Her upbringing wouldn't allow her to turn up to an event empty-handed.

"You always made really tasty sausage rolls." The older cousin encouraged.

"I'll make up a batch this afternoon." She promised.

"Make sure it's a huge one." Emily joked, knowing the appetite of the guys.

"I'll triple the ingredients." She thought back to Seth and Paul at meal times.

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow." Emily headed towards the front door.

"Tomorrow." Dianne said distracted, trying to focus on the flickering colours surrounding her cousin as she left the house.

Once the front door closed behind Emily, Dianne took a seat in the lounge room as her mind tried to wrap around what exactly occurred. She suddenly felt way out of depth, between the developing feelings for Paul and strange occurrences throughout the house. Maybe she just needed to take a step outside?

With an action in mind, she went upstairs and changed into some sweat pants and a light jumper before stepping outside. She took a deep breath in, taking in the fresh smell of the forest beside her and felt her tense muscle ease. She started in a slow jog, not wanting to overdo it as she hadn't put on her running shoes for some time.

She didn't have a destination in mind but automatically found herself going towards the beach. It was too cold for a swim but she found the waves of the ocean helped clear her mind.

Dianne wasn't the only one that enjoyed the sandy shore – a group of guys was kicking a soccer ball around shirtless. It took her a moment to realise that one of those guys happen to be her younger cousin, Seth and she recognised a few familiar faces from high school – Embry, Quil, and Jacob. Once again, she was struck by how alike the guys seemed inbuilt, knowing that they were a few years below her.

Not feeling like the company, her eyes strayed from the guys as Dianne was aware that she could possibly see their colourful atmospheres once closer. Seeing the group reminded her that there was still a lot of unanswered questions and it seemed that no one was going to supply them. Not having any luck at finding the book the other night at her house, she changed her direction to her Aunt's place.

Knocking on the front door, politely waiting for a response instead of walking through the house like she use to do in her childhood. Thankfully, Sue opened the door – Dianne wasn't sure if she could handle Leah's attitude with her current state of mind. "Dianne! Come in, come in." The older woman opened the door wider. "You should know by now that you don't need to knock, hardly anyone does these days." Sue commented as she headed for the kitchen.

She followed her Aunt into the room, surprised to see Charlie Swan sitting at the Clearwater's dining table. "Hi Chief." She said politely, not wanting to seem rude to the police officer.

"Dianne, how many times do I need to remind you to call me Charlie?"

"One more time Chief." She said with a smile, causing the same reaction from Sue.

Charlie simply rolled his eyes, knowing it was a losing battle. "And how is Irene?"

"She's really well." Too well in her opinion for someone that had a heart attack. "I actually wanted to say thank you, Aunt Sue, for looking out for her while I've been gone." Then she remembered last night, slightly embarrassed. "And bringing her home last night."

"No need to say anything, we're family." Sue pulled the young woman into a hug and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Now can I get you anything?" She asked stepping back to the kitchen bench.

"I was wondering if I could check out the bookcase in the study?"

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" Sue could think of a few books that might interest the woman but she wondered if she'd be ready to accept the concept yet.

"Not really, figured when I find it that I'll know." A little white lie on Dianne's half. She knew exactly what she was searching for – if Harry didn't have it in his collection then she was positive that old Billy Black would.

"Well have fun in there, you know how Harry was with his books." Sue turned back to the kettle, getting some drinks ready for the duo. Taking that as her cue, Dianne made her way into the study, an area that she hardly ventured into during her childhood as it was Harry's domain.

She was happy to find that some things didn't change, the bookshelf looked exactly like it did during her childhood and if she remembered right, and the particular book should be on the second top shelf. With her short height, she almost had to go on her tippy toes to check the spines, searching for the word 'Quileute'. At the other end of the shelf was a five-centimeter thick book, the brown cover of the spine had visible worn marks compared to the other books surrounding it.

Taking the book from the shelf, she took a seat at the desk and laid the book in front of her. She was hesitant for a moment before remembering Seth's words and Paul turning his back on her. The ugly feeling in her gut at their reactions had her turning the page in search of answers.

Like any book, it had a contents page which listed multiple names that made her head spin – Spirit Warriors, Chief Taha Aki, Third Wife's Sacrifice, Enchantress, Imprint, Cold Ones.

Chief Taha Aki – the name sounded familiar to her, she was sure that it was from the stories that Harry use to tell them at bedtime, but those were simply stories.

She remembered a few nights ago, Seth had mentioned something about the myths surrounding Quileute's – what if it wasn't someone's imagination but held some truth? With Seth's words spurring her forward, she turned the page to the first chapter, Spirit Warriors.

 _The Quileute tribe settled in La Push becoming fishermen and shipbuilders, as time passed others coveted their land and moved against the tribe. Not able to defend themselves, the Quileute's took their ships and left La Push._

_At sea, Kaheleha, the first Spirit Chief used the magic in their blood to defend the land. Leading the men, they left the ships in spirit only, leaving their bodies behind under the care of the women. They could not physically hurt the enemy, but they used Mother Nature with blowing fierce winds into the enemy camps and manipulating animals to do their bidding. The enemy, Hoh's and Makah's made treaties with the Quileute's as they wanted nothing to do with the magic._

Dianne leaned back in Harry's desk chair, her mind swirling with the men capable of separating themselves from their physical form. She could vaguely remember Harry mentioning the Spirit Warriors when the two families had gone camping during the holidays – Leah rolling her eyes at her father's wild imagination. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward to continue reading.

 _The Great Spirit Chief came to be Taha Aki, a man known for peace and wisdom. While another, Utlapa believed in using their magic to expand their control over the Hohs and Makahs. Taha Aki discovered his plans as spirit warriors' leaving their bodies, their minds became connected with each other. With the violent thirst for power, Utlpap was banned from the tribe and left in a nearby forest._

 _Taha Aki protected his people, even when there was no longer any danger. Often the Spirit Chief would leave the village to mountains, leaving his body behind to patrol the surrounding for any dangers or threats. Utlapa followed the Chief, planning on killing him when he left his body. Instead, the outcast joined Taha Aki in the spirit world and stole the Chief's body before making his way down the mountain to the tribe. Utlapa saw physically as the Chief in Taha Aki's body, while the Taha Aki was trapped in the spirit world._

Dianne read through the grief and troubles of Taha Aki watching Utlapa live his life, along with the unsuccessful tries to getting his body back in the spirit of a wolf or the tribe failing to recognise him. The next few paragraphs caught her attention, having an uneasy feeling settled in the stomach.

 _The great wolf followed him through the forest and Taha Aki felt jealous of the animal; at least it had a body and a life. At that moment the Spirit Chief had an idea that changed the future of the Quileute's. He asked the animal if he could share his body with him and the wolf complied. As a single being, the wolf and the man went to the village. The people feared the wolf, shouting for the warriors' help. The warriors came with spears in their hands, but they stopped in the surprise of what the wolf was doing, the wolf was retreating from the warriors and trying to yelp the songs of their people. The warriors realized what it was doing and could only think that it was being influenced by a spirit._

 _An old warrior, Yut, disobeyed the orders of the false chief and left his body to the Spirit world. Yut gathered the truth in an instant and welcomed Taha Aki. Almost instantly, Utlapa realized what had happened and raced towards Yut's body with his knife. The other warriors were confused. Yut went back into his body but could not fight Utlapa off before warning the others, as he was too old. Taha Aki watched as Yut's spirit left the world and he returned to the wolf's body feeling a great rage. The wolf shuddered and transformed into a man before the eyes of the warriors. The man did not look like Taha Aki's body, but like his spirit self, which the warriors recognized instantly. Utlapa tried to run but Taha Aki had the strength of the wolf and killed him._

 _From then on he was known as the Great Wolf or the Spirit Man. He led the tribe for many years because he did not age. He fathered many sons, who in time found that they too could turn into wolves on reaching manhood. However, they were all different because the wolf form reflected the spirit of the man._

A shiver ran through Dianne's body, her mind going straight to Seth's appearance from the lanky built kid that she grew up with to the man that had been in her house earlier that day – _Taha_ _Aki had the strength of the wolf._ Her thoughts went Paul and the hardware supplies, he had no issue with carrying everything inside while Dianne had struggled with the couple of paint tins that she'd gotten to re-paint the verandah and kitchen ceiling.

Her mind and body were struggling to wrap around the fact that these myths that were told around the campfire could be real. With her nursing background, her mind couldn't understand how a person's body could shift to another creature, it shouldn't be possible. Surely if there were men turning into wolves, the social media with its technology would have captured such a moment. Why would La Push need such creatures protecting them in this day in age?

With a frown, she shifted back to the contents page. Her eyes dismissing the Third Wife Sacrifice and switching between Enchantress and Cold Ones – they didn't seem like pleasant words.

Dianne didn't think she could handle reading any more for the day and quickly stepped away from the desk with the book in hand, reaching on her tippy toes to place it back on the bookcase. She let out a long sigh, it didn't stop the room from feeling confined. With another shaky breath, she walked out of Harry's office without a second glance and strode down the hallway of the house. She walked passed the kitchen doorway, hearing Sue call out her name but she didn't bother stopping, she needed to get some fresh air.

Closing the door behind her, she found Seth at the bottom of the steps looking at her with curiosity, his head tilted to the side. With her thoughts on wolves, she couldn't help but compare the action to a dog which made her grimace at comparing her cousin to a mutt.

"Are you alright?" Seth questioned, having heard her hurried footsteps inside.

"Yeah." Her voice came out squeaky as she watched a flicking orange surround his body.

Seth raises a questioning eyebrow. "Did you want me to walk you home?" He asked concerned, not seeing her car in the driveway or liking her body's weak reactions.

"Nah, I need to stop by at the store, get some pastry and mince." That's exactly what she was going to do, keep her hands busy so the mind wouldn't focus on Spirit Warriors'.

"I need to get some milk, so I'll come with you to the store." Seth answered genuine, making it impossible for Dianne to say 'no' to her little cousin.

"To the store." They started down the Clearwater driveway and Seth didn't miss the chance to talk about winning the soccer game against Embry and Quil.

The conversation flowed between the two of them, making her come to the conclusion that she shouldn't think so poorly about Seth because whether or not he was a Spirit Warrior, he was still the same old kid that she made mud pies within the backyard. This afternoon in the study was stories, she shouldn't base anything on myths until she had proof that it was more.


	5. Chapter 5

" _The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen  
or touched – they must be felt with the heart"- Helen Keller  
_

 **FIVE**

She clutched the two containers of sausage rolls to her chest, thinking perhaps she was mistaken in coming to the beach for the picnic – after reading the passages from the book, she could be walking into a den of wolves. Watching the group lounge together, they seem to have a connection, even the women simply fit into the group.

Taking a breath to calm her nerves, she walked straight up to the group noticing the amount of food that was between them. She glanced at her sausage rolls, hoping that she'd made enough for everyone. "Di!" Seth jumped up from his spot next to Quil, pulling his cousin into an embrace before grabbing a container of sausage rolls. "I can't wait to taste your rolls, you even put sesame seeds on them." He said happily, guiding her to join the circle.

"I'll take those." Emily stepped in, grabbing the already open container from Seth and placing it on the picnic rug for everyone to share. "I'm glad you came." She softly spoke to Dianne, making her feel more at ease with the situation, which made at least two people happy for her company.

From her spot between Seth and Jacob, she couldn't help but look around the circle for Paul. He was seated next to Embry and Jared, his gaze already on her making Dianne blush at being caught. She didn't know what to make of his facial expression, it gave away nothing but she could gather that he wasn't hundred percent happy with her as he hadn't come around to the house that day, like he had every other day since arriving in La Push.

She diverted her eyes from the man and glanced around the group, finding Leah seated beside Jacob with a permanent scowl on her face, Leah looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but here. Dianne couldn't really blame her as Emily sat opposite her in Sam's lap, a few years ago that would have been Leah.

The only other female at the picnic was a woman sitting beside Jared, his arm loosely wrapped around the woman who leaned into his side. She seemed somewhat familiar, Dianne could only presume that the woman had also gone to La Push high school like the rest of them.

"That's Kim, Jared's girl." A male voice whispered to her, eyes flickering to Jacob beside her. As if hearing Jacob, Jared glanced up at two across the picnic with a small smile on his face.

"Did she go to La Push high school?" Dianne questioned, trying to figure out why she looked so familiar.

"Yeah, a couple years below you I think." Jacob tried to remember back that far as Dianne was a few years older than himself.

"She seems familiar." Dianne spoke softly, trying to recall her.

"Yeah, her mother came over to the house quite a bit to see Irene." Jacob answered without really thinking about it and received a punch in the shoulder from Leah beside him to realise he may have said too much.

Dianne frowned at Jacob, thinking back to past visitors. "The attic." She whispered, glancing up at Jacob for confirmation. He didn't say anything but his eyes showed her that she was correct. "Like Emily this afternoon." She revealed again, watching the boy shift uncomfortably in his spot.

"Anne." Her eyes flickered from Jacob to Paul, noticing the mixture of light blue and orange radiating from him. "Fill up a plate before it's all gone." He requested.

She was tempted to simply tell him 'no' for his tone towards her but saw that the man actually had a point as the fellas were loading their plate with food while she'd been speaking to Jacob.

Placing a couple of sausage rolls and a scoop of salad onto her plate, she couldn't help her gaze going to the large amounts of food on the guy's plates. Each plate seems to be stacked with every item on the rug and disappearing as quickly into their bellies.

She'd only been at the picnic for twenty minutes and could already spot similar qualities in the guys seated on the rug – appearance with their height, strength and body mass, food consumption. The secretive glances only made her more suspicious but she didn't want to straight up and ask if they shifted into furry wolves because if wrong, she'd be the one needing a mental state examination.

"Are you swimming today Dianne?" Quil asked from the other side of Seth.

"Too cold for me." She answered, pulling the sleeves of her hoodie over her hands.

At her statement, Seth looped his arm around her shoulders, ignoring the quiet rumbles that came from across the picnic.

Dianne instantly felt the shivers disappear from her body. That was another thing - they seemed immune to the cold weather. While she was dressed in jeans and a jumper, they were shorts and t-shirts, or no shirt depending on when she saw them, like at the beach yesterday playing soccer.

"You coming to Embry?" Quil stood up from the sand and started heading for the water, the other Quileute following close behind.

Embry and Quil came back after their dip in the ocean and rallied the guys into playing a soccer game, the guys splitting off into two groups – the old against the young.

Dianne couldn't help showing her surprise at Leah joining the game, taking side with Sam, Jared, and Paul. As she watched her cousin pass the ball to Jared, she noticed the similarity in her build with the guys – her body lean and muscular without an extra inch of skin. Her remakes and rude behaviour at dinner the other night had her wondering if it was possible for her cousin to be in the same situation as the guys, but wasn't it just men that could shift?

Watching the speed and rough play of the group, she thought maybe the myths had more truth to them. One thing was sure, she would have bruised if Embry had pushed her with the strength shown towards Jacob, and she'd be out of breath with exhaustion from the game.

"I heard you work in a hospital?" Kim asked, wanting to get to know the newest member of the pack, even if the woman wasn't completely aware of her heritage.

Dianne removed her eyes from the guys and focused on a woman near her, not wanting to be rude. "Yeah, I really enjoy helping the people."

"Do you have a preferred area?" Emily joined into the conversation.

"I work on the surgical ward." Dianne said proudly, she enjoyed her job most days with its challenges and usual fast pace.

"You get to operate on people?" Kim questioned, not having a lot of experience with hospitals as Sue or Irene always helped the community with their issues.

Dianne couldn't help the grin, people seem to always assume that. "I get them before and after their operation."

"Maybe you should transfer down here, be around for Irene." Emily planted the seed, not that she liked using Irene as blackmail because the Quileute's' knew that the older woman could care for herself, the most recent accident proved that with her come back.

"I would have to talk to Folk's hospital and see what they have on offer." She didn't dismiss the idea totally as Emily did make a good point about her mother's health, but she'd have to go back home anyways to pack her apartment.

"Or you could work in the community here like Irene." Kim knew that the Pack, mostly Paul would appreciate the woman on their border than in the same hospital as one of the Cullens.

"What does she do?" Dianne couldn't remember her mother ever getting a certificate in healthcare, or any qualifications to be exact.

"You should ask her." Emily figured that was the safest answer, the older woman could judge whether or not her daughter was ready.

"Would it have anything to do with your visits?"

"You have a long line of ancestors, women in your family are looked up to for their guidance and wisdom." Emily started to collect the empty containers, packing up the area while she let her cousin stew over her words.

The Pack was bound by their magic to not reveal anything. She knew it was frustrating Seth to lie to their cousin, so Emily thought a little push towards curiosity for their cousin to stumble across the answers herself.

"Think I'll head home." Dianne muttered, trying to figure out if the book in Harry's office ever mentioned the ancestors. "Thanks for inviting me, Em."

"Anytime." She couldn't help smiling at hearing the nickname from her childhood. "You should come around to the house sometime."

Paul had kept his distance at the beach but that didn't mean that he wasn't aware of _her_. He knew the moment when she stepped onto the beach, the hesitation in her steps, the twisting of her hands at sitting with the Pack. The whispers with Jacob and the amount on her plate. The glances in his direction, warmed him though he would have much rather be the one wrapping an arm around her shoulders to keep the cold wind away. It came down to the fact that she was reluctant to open her mind to other possibilities and he didn't want to grow any more attached to the woman if she was simply going to leave town. He didn't want to depend on someone as much as his fellow brothers, Sam and Jared. Yet, he found himself letting Embry score a goal and walking towards Emily. "Where is she heading?"

"Home."

"I'll follow her." He answered without hesitation, his thoughts going to the vampires roaming the area. The whole mess with the vampire army in Port Angeles was putting him on edge, he had made sure that one of the Pack members had an eye on her when she left the house in precaution. It was their duty after all to protector every member of the community.

"Give her another day, then go see her." Emily advised.

Paul snorted at the advice before heading towards the tree line. As he stripped off, he kept his ears open to stay alert –he could hear her walking down the footpath ahead of him. The tightening of his muscles and tingling sensation had him shifting into the wolf as he started into a jog to catch up with her from the tree line.

Shifting, he was instantly surrounded by two younger voices who greeted him – Brady and Colin. They were younger than Seth, the youngest to ever have shifted in the Pack, which meant that Sam had a tighter leash on the pair, not wanting either boy to experience any harm. Today, they'd been given the duty to run patrol around La Push while the group met for lunch. The young pair wasn't ready to mingle with others outside the Pack yet, still learning the strength of the wolf.

The pair had been excited to run the patrol by themselves, making Sam anxious as his attention at the picnic was mainly focused on the forest.

" _What happened?"_ Brady shot at Paul as he patrolled on the other side of La Push.

" _A vampire?"_ Colin jumped in with as much excitement. They have encountered one vampire since joining the Pack, the adrenaline of the chase had thrilled them.

" _No vampire, I'm taking Anne home."_ His eyes stayed focus on the woman as he spoke to the two pups.

" _You mean you're following her."_ Colin remarked.

" _More like stalking."_ Brady sniggered.

" _Don't make me come over there."_ Paul warned, his tone silencing the young ones. " _How's the patrol going?"_

" _Quiet."_ Brady signed.

" _We thought there was a hint of a vampire on the South West but we couldn't investigate further because of the border."_ Colin reported, frustration in his voice.

" _Keep up the great work, if you came across it again, let us know."_ Paul advised, not wanting any blood-sucker to enter their border. The thought of one coming into their region made the hair on his back stand up.

The tension in his shoulders eased as he watched Dianne enter her house safely. The woman had no idea how much control she had over him, it set his teeth on edge to answer to _one_ woman. Like the other night, he had the opportunity to get laid and yet he couldn't bring himself to do it. He found himself comparing the woman to his Anne, leaving him feeling unsatisfied at what he saw in front of him.

He laid down on his furry stomach, head on his front paws as he watched her through the kitchen window. Paul could see her moving around, he could imagine her heating up the delicious sausage rolls from this afternoon before she hopped onto the kitchen bench to sit.

His hackles instantly raised as a sickening, sweet smell blew towards him. _"That's the scent we caught earlier!"_ Brady shouted alarmed. A threatening growl escaped Paul as he stalked towards the scent that was too close to the house for comfort.

" _Do I warn the rest?"_ Colin anxiously asked.

" _Howl."_ Paul ordered without a second thought. Moving several meters from his original spot, he found a blonde hair male seated on a tree limb, his gaze on the house. Before he could move against the creature, the pale-skinned dropped to the ground taking off in the direction of the border – the chase was on as Paul heard his fellow wolves shift to join him.

Dianne jumped at the sound of a howl ripping through the forest, she hopped down from the counter and crossed her arms over chest, the coffee and sausage rolls forgotten. The slam of the attic door made her heart thump in her chest once again, the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. "Dianne?" Irene called out in distress.

"In the kitchen."

"Thank god you're already home, I thought…" Her mother's voice drifted as she realised that her baby girl was safely in the house.

"That sounded really close." The young woman remarked.

"Too close." Irene muttered, knowing that the creature who had been waiting outside the house was getting hunted down by their protectors. "Take a seat, I'll make us some tea."

Tea was the answer to fixing anything, at least that's what her mother thought. Dianne took a seat at the dining table, not wanting to go to the lounge alone.

"We have wolves in La Push?" She questioned, watching as her mother's hand paused for a brief moment as she stirred their tea.

"They protect the community." Irene answered honestly, knowing that her daughter had recently been to her sister's house.

"Spirit Warriors?" Dianne pushed further.

Irene came over with the tea, passing her daughter a cup before taking a seat across from her. "How much do you know?"

"I've read the book in Harry's office." The younger woman admitted to her latest activities.

"Did you get to the Cold Ones or Enchantress?" Irene asked, taking a sip of her tea calmly.

"Only the part about the chief and the beginning of the Spirit Warriors."

"You should have kept reading." Irene advised, knowing that the next truth may not be what she wanted to hear.

"Are they the reason we have...protectors?" Dianne struggled to wrap her mind around the fact that it was real, there were men that turned into wolves and one of them happened to be her cousin.

"The Cold Ones are the main reason, though there is more than one creature of the night." The pale skinned, blood thirsting creatures had been the beginning of the unknown world. They were recurring, while the other creatures were rare.

"Who are the Cold Ones?" Dianne wrapped her hands around the warm cup, taking comfort from the chamomile tea.

"They came to the land centuries ago, threatening the lives of our people. But they claimed to be different in their diet with strange yellow eyes and we made a treaty with them. They have never been across the border into La Push, or harmed one of ours."

"Who do they hunt?" She could only picture creatures without hearts as their name suggests.

"Vampires." Irene answered bluntly, keeping a keen eye on her daughter's facial expression and aura reflecting her troubled thoughts.

"You're serious?" She asked in disbelief, vampires are creatures from storybooks. On the other hand, so is shapeshifters though their purpose is to protect. The idea of vampires existing meant that there was something more sinful in the world than humans themselves.

"You'd want to believe it because that was one right outside our house moments ago." The older woman had felt the dark energy lurking outside, wanting to test the boundaries of her magic and the wards that protected the house.

"Outside our house?" Dianne's aura changed once again, shifting to a colour that Irene was familiar with – fear.

"Yes, they tend to be drawn to us for our energy as witches." Irene knew that she should probably hold back on their heritage but her period was running out, she was already on borrowed time.

Diane couldn't help but giggle at the term. " _Witches_?"

"You believe in shapeshifters but not witches?" The older woman questioned, pointing out the unrealistic divide between the two species.

"Seeing the guys, makes it more realistic." Unsure how to explain to her mother that she'd seen the abnormal changes in their body compared to what the human body could compete with.

"You have yet to see one shift though." Irene pointed out.

"How do you know that?" Dianne asked in defiance.

"Paul would be by your side instead of hiding out in the bushes." Irene gestured her head towards the kitchen window where the mature wolf had been moments ago before scenting the vampire in the area.

"What does _Paul_ have to do with this?" She loathed that the man was brought into the conversation. Someone who she hardly knew yet felt drawn too, it played on her feelings towards the man.

"That's a conversation with Paul." Irene wouldn't drag the man any further into the discussion, she respected Paul and the pair simply needed to jump over their stubbornness to see what they truly have. Life is too short for bitter moments, Irene knew that from her personal experiences and didn't want her daughter experiencing the same fate.

Dianne frowned - how was she meant to talk to a man that was avoiding her?

"Alright… shapeshifters, vampires, and witches are out there." She recalled what she'd found out so far, a pressure starting to develop at her temples at the overload of information concerning the world around them.

"And Centaurs, Erlkings, Windigos but we'll get to that another day." Irene assured, seeing the concerned expression on her daughter's face.

"Do I even want to know?" She questioned in sarcasm. It was bad enough that there was one enemy out there, more would seem like a weight on her shoulders, a secret from the common folk.

"It's necessary to be aware of what lies between the sinful for us to provide for our people." As witches in their community, they couldn't do their job right if they had a closed mind. Yes, many of the community had forgotten that such creatures existed over the centuries but they understood the value that the Clearwaters held in the community.

Emily's words come back to Dianne - _a long line of ancestors and women in your family are looked up to for their guidance and wisdom._ "So we help people as...witches?" Dianne hesitantly asked.

"It is our duty to the people, like it is the Packs duty to protect the community." Stating it simply, there was no grey area in the matter. "Who do you think guided Taha Aki? Yut was a Clearwater, his wife was known as their Enchantress."

The young woman couldn't believe the little piece of information that helped piece together the Spirit Warrior story. "People actually come to you?"

"For multiple things, could be their veggie garden dying or the extent of a broken bone." Irene said in a matter of fact.

"You can heal a broken bone?" Diane questioned in wonder, her mind going to the patients at the hospital that would benefit from such treatment.

"Not completely heal but assist with the process." Irene took a sip of her tea. "Your desire to help people, heal them has to do with your bloodline."

"What about Aunt Sue?" Remembering Emily talking about the pair of women helping out in the community.

"She is a retired nurse and part of the council but does not hold the power that we do. It passes onto the first daughter of every Clearwater so that we can continue to support our community."

"Only the daughter?" Dianne thought it was a bit sexist.

"Well the men may turn into a wolf, they can't have both roles in the tribe." Irene pressed her lips in thought. "Unless you happen to be unique like your cousin Leah."

The young woman wanted to question the subject about her cousin. Why did she shift like the other men in La Push? Did Harry know that it would happen? Does that have some reason to why Leah is so standoff towards her? Instead of asking her mother these questions, personal ones of her cousin. She thought maybe it was time to seek out her cousin, see what she had to say.

"So you have a cauldron?" Dianne joked.

"In the attic." Irene serenely replied.

"The _attic_! If I'm descended from some _great_ bloodline, why can't I go up there?" She was irritated about the damn room in the house that she couldn't enter.

"Your mind has been closed, exactly the same with your powers." Her mother calmly spoke, knowing the frustrations that her daughter was going through, it was a process that every eldest experienced. However, her daughter's transition to her true heritage had taken longer than usual, their conflicts with each other and the move away from home.

"How am I meant to 'open' my powers?" She sarcastically asked.

"That's something you need to find out for yourself. Once you're ready, you'll grow into it." Irene finished her tea and got up from the dining seat. Putting her cup in the sink, she left her daughter to ponder their conversation as she went back to the attic - she needed to keep an eye on the trouble bubbling in Port Angeles.


	6. Chapter 6

" _Side by side or mile apart,  
family is always close to the heart"- Unknown  
_

 **SIX**

After the conversation with her mother yesterday, Dianne felt her head spinning with the concept of Cold Ones, Shifters, Witches, Centaurs, Erlkings, Windigos. Creatures that she'd only read in fictional stories, people's imagination. More so, she happens to have witches as ancestors.

Needing to clear her mind, she didn't bother changing her clothes and walked outside the house. A loud sigh left her lips as she reached the tree line, nature having a calming effect on her. She couldn't help walking further into the forest, her hands touching every surface - the bark on the trees, the leaves on bushes and the yellow wildflowers.

"Do you have a death wish?" Dianne jumped at the sound of her cousin coming from behind a tree on her right.

" _No_..." She answered, almost questioning herself as Leah's voice came out harsh with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You really shouldn't be wandering around the forest." The cousin scorned at the other woman.

"Because there are vampires." Dianne stated, feeling foolish using the term.

Leah was stunned for the moment, wondering when her cousin had come to the knowledge of their heritage. "We keep the leeches at bay but you never know when one might slip through, and you're like catnip to them."

" _Catnip?"_ Dianne asked slightly offended.

"Yesterday should have proven that," Leah smirked for a second, her thoughts on the Pack. "You got Paul into a twister, never seen him that worried about anyone."

"Paul?"

Leah paused at her cousin's expression. " _Ahh_ , you don't know everything then."

Dianne got defensive. "I know that you're the only female to ever turn wolf!"

"You don't know _anything_!" Leah bit back, phasing into a wolf was a sensitive subject for her.

"I know enough."

Leah couldn't help the harsh laugh. "Then how is it that your still _you_? While I turned into a wolf?!" She shouted, knowing that Irene's heritage stopped the other woman from turning into a ball of fur, but Leah couldn't contain her angry about the topic.

"I don't know Leah." She said feeling defeated.

With Dianne in the line of fire, everything from the past crept up to Leah. "And what happened to us always sticking together!?" Guilt ate at Dianna, she hadn't realised how much she'd actually hurt her cousin by staying away from her mother. "Everyone keeps leaving _me_! You! Sam! _Dad_!" She choked out the last words, a couple of tears escaped her eyes as her form started to tremble. "And why couldn't the witches save my dad, like they did with Aunt Irene!"

"That's enough Leah!" Paul came storming into the clearing, he headed straight for Dianne, wanting to get her out of Leah's presence in case the woman shifted.

"I want some answers!" Leah fired back, not taking any notice of her shaking body.

Paul took a stand in front of Dianne, his chest rumbling. "Talk to Irene then." He reasoned, knowing the older witch could help the female wolf order her thoughts and provide some answers.

"Don't tell me what to do Lahote!" The last word ripped out before Leah phased into a wolf, causing the other woman to let out a surprised gasp at the sudden, angry wolf.

Before either of them could do anything, a gray wolf pushed into Leah removing her from the duo. "Let's go." Paul pulled Dianne to his side and headed back to her house, his hand rubbing up and down her arm as her racing heartbeat echoed in his ears.

"Leah turned into a wolf." She did a backward glance and saw two wolves tumbling in the leaves.

" _Yep_." He stated as bluntly, realising that Leah was her first wolf sight.

"Just _bam_."

"Bam." He repeated, waiting for her mind to catch up with the events.

"The other wolf?"

"Embry." They walked through the front door, leading them straight to the kitchen. He placed her on the kitchen bench before her legs gave out and started to make some chamomile tea for his girl.

Dianne tried to still the small shake in her hands as she sat on the bench, her eyes wandered over to Paul moving around the kitchen. It helped calm her, knowing that he was mere centimeters away from her. It felt like weeks when it was merely days since she'd been in his presence and she was grateful that he'd turned up at that moment with Leah. "That was close." She muttered, not realising she'd said it out loud until Paul answered her.

" _Too_ close." He growled. The shaky woman with him was the only reason he hadn't stormed back into the forest to rip into the she-wolf for her actions, she'd shifted dangerously close to his imprint.

"Is this why you've been avoiding me?" She questioned as he passed the warm tea into her hands, taking to leaning against the counter beside her.

Paul slowly nodded his head, knowing that it was only part of the reason. He couldn't simply tell her about their relationship, she had only entered the supernatural world. He was aware of the pressing time frame with Dianne going back to the hospital, but he hoped that finding out more about this world would keep her in La Push.

"I take it your like Leah then?" Referring to the man turning into an animal.

"I'm not a she-wolf if that's what you're asking." Paul joked with her, feeling his heart swell at seeing the small smile creep to her lips. "Yes, I'm a wolf." When she didn't say anything, he felt himself straighten his posture in defense. "If you have a problem with that-"

"I _don't_ ," She said quickly, not meaning to offend him with her lost thoughts. "You're a protector."

He snorted at hearing the truth in her voice, she made him sound like an honorable knight, which he was far from with his ripped jeans and reputation. "Can I trust you to stay out of mischief?" He could hear Leah outside pacing in the forest, probably cutting herself up about her earlier actions.

"Of course." She crossed her arms feeling slightly offended by his comment.

"We'll see about that." He started for the door, his eyes taking one more sweep over the woman to make sure she was unharmed before heading out the front door to talk to his Packmate.

Dianne couldn't help stare at the firm buttocks in front of her as Paul left the house, she saw him walk straight back into the forest. She was tempted to follow but didn't want to prove Paul right by his latest statement. She'd just have to occupy herself with the house, there was still a few things on her 'to fix' list and it would keep her thoughts from the exploding wolf that was her frustrated cousin.

Paul walked up the veranda stairs, his shoulders hunched as the damn vampire had slipped through their fingers again. He was growing irritated with running in circles and the leech had tried multiple times to come in the direction of the Witches house, making him more aggressive.

He didn't bother knocking on the front door, knowing that Irene wouldn't have an issue with his presence. He only wanted to check in with Dianne, make sure she was in one piece, even though he was positive the leech hadn't gotten close to either witch.

Walking into the foyer, his nose flared as a scent drifted down from the stairs. Without a second thought, Paul went into autopilot and took the stairs two at a time before stepping into the bathroom where the scent assaulted him.

"Stupid, _bloody_ thing." The brown-haired woman muttered under her breath as she kneeled on her hands and knees in the shower fully clothed.

"What _are_ you doing?" Paul asked concerned, his mind trying to understand why he could smell her blood.

Dianne gave a fright, her head snapping up from her work in progress. " _God_ , I didn't hear you enter." She turned back to the getting the grout out of the shower with a frown between her eyebrows.

"It's a wolf thing." He stated as his eyes zoned in on the multiple cuts on the woman's hands. "Are you trying to injure yourself?" He didn't wait for a response as he lifted her up from the shower and placed her on the toilet seat.

"I'm getting rid of the old grout." She rolled her eyes at being picked up. "It's _nothing_." She tried to move her fingers from Paul's hands.

He grabbed the wet face washer and started to clear the multiple cuts on her fingers. "I'll finish the grout."

"I can do it."

"I've got it." Paul picked up the dropped tool and stepped into the shower to continue.

" _Yeah_ … you do." She muttered at seeing the muscle ripple underneath his skin. "Why the half-nakedness?"

"You ever tried carrying a wardrobe in your mouth?" He resorted back, not taking his eyes from the grout.

"Fair point." Though she'd say that only carrying a pair of shorts was to her benefit.

She sat back on the toilet, simply watching the fast pace and ease that Paul removed the grout - the strength of the wolf really did come in handy. "How often do you fight vampires?" The thought of the man in front of her in combat with a blood-sucking creature caused a nervous flutter in her stomach.

"I wouldn't shift if I wasn't needed."

"Do we have…local vampires?" She tried to search for the right word, her thoughts going to the story of the Cold Ones making a pact.

"What's this? Twenty questions?" He asked in amusement, trying to make the serious atmosphere more relaxed.

"I'm curious."

"And that's how you found out the truth." Paul can tell that her curiosity was going to cause him trouble somewhere down the track, he could feel it in his bones.

" _So_?"

"Yes, we have vampires in Folks but they can't cross the border."

Her thoughts went to Forks hardware store and the two pale males that the pair had come across in the aisle. "When we were at the hardware store that was why you were so tense?"

"Tense is a way to describe it." He remembered feeling the tightness of his skin as he had wanted to shift on the spot, his instincts to protect the woman was the only reason he'd stayed 'tense' and not made a move.

"How many?" Her voice went a pitch higher than normal.

The change in her tone had Paul kneeling beside the woman. " _Hey_ , you don't need to worry about them. That's what I'm for."

"What hurts them?"

" _What_?" The question threw him, he hadn't expected the woman to want to know the details.

"Garlic? Holy water? Sunlight?" She riddled off a couple of myths from movies.

"All false." He softly grabbed her chin between his fingers, catching her eyes. "You don't need to go out there fighting vampires, leave that to the wolves."

"Ok." She quietly whispered, staring into his eyes in a slight daze.

"They sparkle."

"Sparkle?" Dianne questioned, not sure she'd heard him right.

"Ohh _yeah_ , like someone dumped a box of silver glitter on them." Paul was once again rewarded with a loud laugh that had her clutching her sides at the mental image that he'd created for her.

"You're kidding?"

"I don't kid about leeches." He finished with removing the grout and started sweeping up the mess. "Have you got the grout?"

"That was _quick_." She reached beside her and passed over the tub of new grout.

"Not the first time, helped that it was chipping already." He's had plenty of experience with other La Push resident's renovations. "It will take a couple of days to set though"

"Figured as much when I read the instructions."

"Nice to know your degree taught you something." Paul sarcastically replied.

"Do you really want to go there?" Dianne questioned, having heard enough from her mother about leaving the damn town.

"You heading back there?" He asked with a little less bite in his tone.

"Haven't decided yet." She honestly hadn't, her thoughts were circling the recent events. "Are you almost done there?"

"What's the hurry?"

"I'm hungry."

" _You're_ hungry? I haven't had anything since this morning." He complained, he'd put visiting Dianne before filling his stomach.

"Well come on, my shout." Dianne offered, not wanting to argue with the man about her future whereabouts.

"I'm not gonna turn down a free feed." He stood up, wiping his hands with the rag and followed the woman from the bathroom. "Where are you thinking?

"Is that small café near the beach still open?"

"Ohh yeah, they have the best chips, thick and salty."

"And don't forget the large, super thick milkshakes." Dianne recalled her school activities.

Walking through the front door of the house after the afternoon with Paul, she found the place quiet except for the muttering coming from up the stairs. She thought about making herself a cup of tea but curiosity had her walk up the stairs to the attic.

The door was closed as per usual, making Dianne paused at pushing it open. She was hesitant after all she'd learned the last couple of days, but she wanted to know more, wanted to understand their history and what it meant for them at the present.

She turned the door handle and was surprised that it had fully turned, letting her swing the attic door open. Dianne hesitated with passing through the door as she suspected a force would prevent her. She stepped through, her mother's chanting continued without pause at her presence.

Irene was mumbling the spell under her breath, trying to locate the vampire responsible for the mass of newborns. The only answer she found was the dark blond named Riley, but the vampire was still young, like the rest of the newborns.

The youngest Clearwater gazed around the room, her eyes going to the jars that lined the shelves on the right-hand side, some contained dried herbs and vegetables. It reminded her a lot of a kitchen with the ingredients, though there were a few brown jars that she couldn't name. In the middle of the room was her mother, standing over a map on the table while across from her was an altar that held a thick book. It was almost similar to the one at Harry's office but she could _feel_ the power waving from the pages, drawing her closer.

She ran her hands over the rough cover then opened it to find the pages written in an unusual language. "What does this mean?" She whispered.

"In time you will know, once the book thinks you're ready." Irene softly advised, her eyes never leaving the dot that appeared on the map.

"You make it seem like a living being."

"It holds magic, protection spells from preventing the wrong hands from using it." Irene could see the frustrated expression on her daughter's face as she stared at the pages. She couldn't see the spells yet, the fact that she could open the book was a step forward.

Having gone through the same stages are her daughter, Irene grabbed a scrap piece of paper and started to scribble a spell. "You should work on this." She passed the paper over, her daughter hesitantly grabbing it and scanned over the words.

"What's this?" The words as foreign as the book.

"A beginners spell, fill in the gaps and perform the spell." Irene instructed, she knew that giving her daughter a task would spur her on, encourage her to use magic.

"Perform the spell?" Dianne asked in disbelief.

"Once you understand what the spell is for, it will be easier to perform."

"And the book will make sense." The youngest witch came to conclusion, her eyes sliding over to the altar and back to the note in her hand.


	7. Chapter 7

" _Distance makes no difference.  
The heart always finds its way home." - Unknown_

 **SEVEN**

She had left the house early the following morning, her feet leading her to the other Clearwater house as Leah's words repeated in her mind throughout the night - _why couldn't the witches save my dad, like they did with Aunt Irene._ She was tempted to ask her mother about it, but the older Clearwater had yet to give her a clear answer on any topic since coming back to La Push.

Raising her hand to knock on the door, she remembered Sue persisting to simply walk into the house. Taking her advice, Dianne invited herself in and followed the smell of coffee into the kitchen. "Morning."

Sue glanced up from her newspaper and smiled at her niece. "Morning Sweetheart, did you want some breakfast?"

"No thank you." She took a seat opposite the older woman, suddenly feeling anxious at questioning her mother. "I was wondering if you could help me understand a few things."

"If it's spells, I'm not the person to be speaking to." Sue replied with a humorous tone, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Oh, um…" Dianne hadn't expected her Aunt to casually discuss the topic, or that she knew about her learning spells. "Actually I wanted to ask you about mother's death scare." She thought back to the report that she'd gotten from the doctor's about her mother's health. Her heart had stopped beating at the hospital bed, they had somehow revived her, and the medical team could not explain how. At the time, Dianne had been thankful that such a miracle had happened and the realisation that she had almost lost her mother.

"She was meant to die that day." Sue softly whispered, her heart feeling heavy at the idea of losing the woman. "The ancestors decided it was not her time."

"Why didn't they do that for Harry?" Her thoughts once again on Leah.

"Two different circumstances." The older woman would have appreciated such an honour from their ancestors but there would have been heavy consequences.

" _How_?"

"There has to _always_ be a witch to guide and protect the community from the supernatural." Sue recognised the understanding in the young woman's eyes. "Like the wolves will always exist if vampires are alive."

"Like good and evil?"

" _Yin_ and _yang." The older woman confirmed._

 _Dianne stared at the wood markings in the dining table, her mind trying to wrap around the information. She could understand why Leah felt hurt towards her. Dianne got to keep her mother while Leah lost her father. "Does this mean mother is eternal?"_

 _"Until the next witch takes her place." Sue sadly looked upon her niece, knowing that her success would be a death sentence of her parent._

 _"The next witch?" She tried to think of anyone that her mother had mentioned, but she'd told her that only the first daughter of the Clearwater was passed on the gift. "_ _Me_ _."_

"Once you reach your potential, the responsibilities are to be handed on to the next generation."

"What if I _don't_ want it? I have a job back home." Dianne argued, not liking the direction of the conversation.

"Your duty of care is to patients, how is that any different to what Irene does?" Sue tried to reason with her.

"There's no _magic_ , or secrets!"

"The magic in your blood drives you to be a nurse."

"That would mean staying _here_ , in La Push." The young woman had spent most of her life trying to stay away from the small town and its trivial views.

"The place doesn't matter, it's what you call home." Sue thought about Leah and Seth, she could live anywhere as long as she had her children. "You need to find the reason to staying in the community."

"A partner?"

"A family." The Aunt reinforced.

Dianne could see sense in the woman's words. She had felt a craving that radiated from loneliness and a longing to have a partner beside her. "Whatever happened to my father?" She often questioned about the father figure in her life and never got a response from anyone in the community. Never in her lifetime had Dianne seen her mother with a man, she'd stayed true to that one partner that never remained long enough for her birth.

"That is a conversation best left for Irene." Sue advised, though the niece could tell that the woman knew the man but refused to speak up about the relationship. "Now, I'm needed at the council." She stood up and rinsed the empty coffee mug. "You're welcome to help yourself to the cupboards."

"The council?"

"You didn't think La Push would allow a group of young wolves to simply run around the community without direction?"

"I guess not, I haven't really thought about it." There was still so much that Dianne didn't know, maybe she should take Emily's offer and call in for a visit.

Dianne took her coat off and hung the garment on the hallway hooks, a frown appeared between her eyebrows at the stranger in her living room. " _Hi_?"

"Oh," The young man stood up quickly, holding his hand out to her in greeting. "I'm Terry."

"Di." She greeted, still wondering why he was in her house.

"I know." He instantly blushed at his blunt words, realising that seemed straightforward.

She shouldn't have been taken back that this guy knew about her, she could guess that the whole community knew about her arrival back in town. "Not to be rude, but what are you doing here?"

"My grandmother is upstairs with Irene."

"What brought her here?" Dianne asked curious, wanting to know what type of work her mother did with the community.

"Alternative herbs for her aching bones."

She knew that it was more than herbs that his grandmother would be drinking. Her ancestor's tribe may have known the truth about their abilities but Dianne gathered that through the years, suspicion would have set in and caused the Clearwater's to hide their secret in plain sight. There was a risk for them, reaching out and supporting the Quileutes' but they still provided a duty of care to their community. "And it works?"

"The days that she doesn't use it, she's stiff in the bones and can't walk by herself."

"Good to know it's helping her." She said honestly, leading Terry into the kitchen and turning the kettle on. "Do you want a drink?"

"Coffee would be great." Terry said thankful, taking a seat at the dining table as he watched the woman move around the kitchen.

"Sugar? Milk?"

"White and one."

"You're still local right?" Dianne questioned, recognising his face from high school.

"Sort of, got a few days a week at Port Angeles College."

"College?" She found it refreshing to see that someone else was getting a further education like herself. "What are you studying?"

"Photography." Passion vibrated through his voice. "I want people to see the wonder in the world, see that side of La Push."

"I think people need a reminder of the beauty in the world, the simple things in life." She brought the two cups to the dining room, taking a seat in front of the man.

"It's what I enjoy doing."

"Like my nursing." Dianne said in understanding, she welcomed been able to sit down and talk to a patient, get to know them and find out what is important to them. Exactly what her mother was doing right at this moment with Terry's grandmother. "I like taking photos as a hobby."

"I know some pretty magical places around here." Terry said eager to share with someone else.

"Like the cliffs?" She asked.

"There is some clearings and waterfalls too."

"Leah and I found a waterfall back in high school." She felt odd saying that, it had been such a long time ago since the two of them spent time together.

"I could… I could show you if you're interested?"

Dianne took a sip of her drink as she thought over Terry's offer. It would be nice to do something 'normal' and take a step back from the recent discoveries. She looked across the table at the man, he seemed nervous about extending the offer but her gut whispered he was harmless. "I would enjoy that."

"I'm heading out tomorrow if you'd like to come?"

An image of Paul appeared in her mind, the thought giving her more reason to get away for a short period of time. "Tomorrow it is." She smiled at Terry in appreciation.

Footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs, making Terry stand up to assist the older woman on the last step. "Gran, are you ready to go home?"

"Yes, my boy, we'll have to start preparing dinner." The wrinkles crinkled with a smile and her eyes sparkling bright.

"We'll stop at the grocery store on the way home." Terry started to lead his grandmother down the hallway, he looked back at Dianne. "I'll pick you up at ten?"

"I'll be ready." She replied, looking forward to some time away from the house.

She smiled at the duo one last time before the front door closed behind them. "You're playing with wolves my daughter." Dianne turned to the stairway to find her mother standing there having witnessed the conversation with Terry.

" _Wolves_?" Dianne questioned as Terry did not look like any of the wolves running around La Push with his lean frame.

"How is the spell?" The older Clearwater asked, directing the conversation.

"Slow." A bad taste filled in her mouth at not having decoded the spell. " _I'll_ get there."

"I know you will." Irene turned back to the attic. "There is lasagne in the oven, could you make a side salad?"

"Yeah, I'll put dinner together."

"I'll be down in a moment to help." Irene continued into the attic to tidy the room after a day of visitors.

Dianne headed to the kitchen, clearing the mugs from the dining table and putting them in the sink before grabbing the salad ingredients – lettuce, tomato, carrot, mango, cheese and capsicum.

Moments later, the older Clearwater joined the kitchen and removed the tray from the oven to put on the wooden chopping block before serving the main dish.

They took a place at their four-seated dining table, Dianne pouring a glass of water for them while Irene put some salad on her plate. The younger Clearwater helped herself to the salad, while her mind raced with ways to bring up the subject of her father. In the past, the subject had always been brushed off, even those times she questioned where her 'daddy' was after seeing other classmates with their parents.

"What is it Dianne?" Her mother asked.

She frowned before realising she had been biting her lip, something she did when in deep thought. She took a deep breath, preparing the decline. "I want to know about my father."

"There is nothing to tell." Irene continued with her dinner.

"I think I have the right to know, I'm not a child anymore."

"It does not matter, he died during a storm." The older Clearwater answered with little emotion.

"What?" Dianne hadn't expected him to be dismissed like that. "Who was he?"

"We don't need to be bringing up the past."

"It's because of the _past_ that we have wolves, witches and vampires running around." Dianne fired back in annoyance.

"That's enough Dianne Marie."

"Knowing who he is could help me accept my place in the community." She continued pushing for answers, ignoring the use of her middle name.

The sharp cling of the cutlery hitting her mother's half full plate had Dianne holding her breath, expecting the woman to leave the room for the night.

"You have always made the relationship with your father sound…joyful and fore filling." The older Clearwater signed, thinking back on that night. "It was one night, the night I conceived you. Nothing more, nothing less but too many glasses of vodka."

"One night." Dianne stated, having thought that there would have been more to her mothers' relationship. She couldn't imagine the well put together woman in front of her enjoying vodka and throwing caution to the wind.

"I wasn't the first woman…or the last one to be charmed by the Quileute."

"There were other women?"

"For a period of time." She muttered, her thoughts lost in the past. "It has always been _you_ and _me_ , and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way." She reached over the table and squeezed her daughter's hand.

Dianne squeezed back, the overwhelming feeling of love spread through her and she realised that her mother was projecting to her. Reassuring Dianne of the truth behind her words and the gift of being blessed with a daughter.

Later that night, sleep was impossible as the conversation during dinner echoed in her mind. She could still feel her hand tingling from the projected feelings from her mother, causing the younger Clearwater to throw back her blankets and glance at the piece of paper on her bedside table. She picked up the spell and stared at the language that made no sense to her.

While staring at the words, one stood out reminding her of her nursing degree, Latin been very pronounced in medical terms. Grabbing her laptop, she started up the machine and waited for it to connect to her mother's wireless connection. She searched the Latin words and compared with the sentences in front of her. A frustrated sigh left her as the words didn't match up to the spelling – back to square one.

She felt determination set in as she stared at the jumble of words, wanting to find some connection to the magic running through her veins. She groaned after a few moments, nothing happening with her focused on the paper. Dianne remembered her mother saying something about needing to accept the magic before it would reveal itself, like a protection spell from unwanted eyes.

Relaxing into the mattress with her legs crossed and arms limp in her lap, she closed her eyes and emptied her mind to simply focus on her surroundings. The soft blanket against her back, the chill in the air from the cold night, the sound of the crickets outside her window, the dry taste in her mouth. And finally, the tingle surrounding her made goose bumps appear on her arms, it felt like an electrifying balance as it connected itself to every surface from the flowers on her bedside table to the rustling trees outside the house.

She let it seep through her pores, bringing peace that she had never experienced. With soft breaths through her nose and out her lips, she slowly opened her eyes once feeling grounded to the spark around her.

Glancing at the piece of paper in front of her, she felt excitement buzz through her at seeing the sentences blur to her Native American Language, the Quileute Tribe.

Reading the words once more, she focused her attention on the vase of flowers on her bedside table and slowly, quietly spoke the words and watched the closed purple iris open wide to show their yellow base in the dimly lit bedroom.

It was a small accomplishment that made her lips widen into a smile. She laid back against her pillows, her eyes focused on the deep purple flowers as a tiredness swept through her.

 **AN:** Happy New Year! Thank you to wolf-girl-only-in-my-dreams, .2017, brankel1, ThePhantomismyLove, MyFandoms7 and jcwhale2380 for the reviews, and everyone who has recently followed the story.


	8. Chapter 8

" _Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye."  
\- H. Jackson Brown Jr._

 **EIGHT**

Dianne's eyes fluttered open, focusing on the blooming, purple iris in front of her on the bedside table. It brought a smile as she remembered the events of last night. She checked the piece of paper beside her to see the writing still visible in her native tongue. Her smile grew wider as she threw the covers back and headed downstairs for breakfast.

Irene was already at the dining table with a cup of tea between her hands.

"Morning!" She greeted happily and pulled out a mug for herself.

"Kettle was just boiled." Irene couldn't keep the grin from her lips at the energy surrounding her daughter. She had cracked her power, Irene could sense it.

"I did your spell." She took a seat next to her mother, a cup of coffee in her own hands and a piece of toast in front of her.

"Some more practice and you might be able to use the book soon."

"What else can I practice with?

"Anything." Irene demonstrates by moving the sugar bowl into reach of her hands without saying anything. "You don't need a spell to do as you desire."

"It can just happen?" She asked feeling unsure.

"Emotions help with achieving." Irene put a teaspoon of sugar into her tea. "It's what drives everybody, magical or not." Her daughter picked up her toast spread with jam and took a bite. "You should stay home today."

" _What_?" The statement caught Dianne off guard.

"Least away from the forest." She warned.

"We could stay near the beach." The younger Clearwater suggested.

"Guess it's not far from the house."

"Why is it important to be at the house?"

"As long as I'm alive, the wards around this house will protect us."

"Protect us from vampires?"

"Among other things." Irene took a sip of her tea. "There is more going on then your aware." She warned her daughter.

"Like what?" Dianne questioned, wanting to know the full story – jump in with two feet.

"Shouldn't you be leaving soon?" The older woman pointed out, glancing at the dining room clock.

"Oh _shit_." With a glance at the clock, she quickly took one last sip of her coffee before jogging up the stairs to the bedroom.

She fiddled with her small camera in the passenger seat of the old car, Terry sat at the stirring wheel. "So where are we headed?"

"Thought we could do the beach and cliffs." Terry suggested, already heading in that direction.

"The cliffs always have a good view of the town." She agreed with his choice.

"And the ocean." He pulled into the parking lot of the La Push beach and the trio picked up their water bottles and cameras for their walk.

Once they reached the sand, she slipped off her thongs and put them in her back pocket as her toes dug into the soft ground. "I missed this."

"You don't have the beach at your place?"

"Nah, too many buildings and cement." She truly did miss the forest and ocean side.

"It's a beauty, the fresh air." He bent down with his camera lens and took a few snaps of the sea tide drifting back and forth against the sand.

"It is." Her eyes traveling the length of the forest touching the edge of the beach. "The cliffs?"

He answered her by heading in the direction of the tree line. "You ever done cliff diving?"

" _Cliff diving_?"

"Yeah, Sam's gang does it."

"It's not a _gang_." She urged.

"Sorry, I forgot your cousins are with him." He took another photo. "That's what some call them."

"You shouldn't believe all the town gossip." She advised, knowing that small towns talked.

He nodded his head in slow agreement. "So have you cliff dived?"

"I don't think I could do the fall." She looked over the edge of their dirt footpath, seeing the steep drop. "You?"

"Don't think I could swim to the shore after diving." He admitted after taking another shot.

"There is that." She paused at the top of the cliffs, her heart beating wildly in her chest at reaching their destination. "Now this is a beauty." She lifted her camera to take a shot of the view.

"I need a drink." Terry reached around to his backpack to grab the bottle of water.

"I could sit here all day." She commented.

"Or I could show you something better?" He nodded towards the forest.

Dianne paused, remembering her mother's warning about traveling the forest. "Is it far?"

"It's an easy walk." He encouraged.

She bit her lip in thought – surely, she would be fine for a small walk. "We'll make it quick." The turning of her stomach begun as she started following Terry into the trees away from the ocean.

The pair had been walking for half an hour, the churning of her stomach getting worse with each step. "How much further?" She questioned Terry beside her.

"Not long." He was happily taking photos, his gaze focused on particular objects instead of the environment around him.

Dianne was nervous that they'd come across the Pack, that would defiantly be a hard one to explain to him.

"Have you noticed that we haven't seen _any_ birds?" Terry sounded disappointed, it was one of the few things that he liked to take photos of during his trips into the wild.

His observation had her stopping on the path – he was right. There was no animal in sight, whether that be bird, rabbit or deer. It was completely silent except for the footsteps of Terry beside her. "We should go back." She whispered, her throat tightening along with her uneased stomach.

"The waterfall is only a few meters away." He argued.

"Let's _go_." She requested with a bit more force.

" _No stay_." The commanded sounded sweet coming from the third comer, their straight posture and red eyes had her mind screaming to leave. She didn't dare move as her thoughts tried to process that _this_ was a Cold One, a vampire standing a few feet from her.

"We're going." She sounded winded, breathless at the male vampire in front of her.

"But I'm sooo hungry," Sounding much like a child being declined. "And you smell soo good, dear Dianne."

Her name coming from the vampire's lips had her heart beating furiously. " _Oh_ , you two know each other." Dianne threw Terry a pointed look at his statement, not realising the danger of their situation.

"We will soon..." The male vampire took a step closer, making the panic rise within Dianne. "I've never had a witch, first time for everything." He quickly made for her direction, causing her stomach to launch. She automatically threw her hands up to protect herself, though she knew it would be fatal against a vampire as she closed her eyes.

Not feeling a lethal blow, her eyes opened to find the vampire frozen in motion. A foot from her, its red eyes feverishly blinking at her in anger. She bit her bottom lip hard, not taking the risk of moving an inch as her heart thumping loudly in her ears.

" _Dianne_?" She could feel Terry's body trembling against her back, his voice quivering like her braced hands.

Suddenly, a wolf tackled the creature from her sight, followed by three more wolves behind it. The last one had dark grey fur and she knew it was Paul, he gave a snort of anger in her direction _. "Go home."_ The stern, angry voice echoed in her ears, surprising the woman before the wolf followed after his pack mates.

"What the _hell_?" Terry's stunned whisper reminded her that she wasn't alone, a civilian had witnessed a secret of La Push. "We need to get out of here!" His voice became more frantic as the events caught up to him.

"Terry." She kept her voice soft, like she did when talking to a patient. "We'll head back to your car." He nodded his head with quick movements and backtracking their steps.

She tried to not analysis that she'd heard the wolf speak to her and focus on Terry's unsteady footsteps to the car. "Did you see that person?" He fired off more sentences. "It had red eyes!"

A vampire.

"And it moved so fast! Maybe the person's on drugs, it's affecting…" He had a one-sided conversation with himself, his mind trying to rationale the events.

Blood could be counted as a type of drug to vampires. Dianne thought to herself, not knowing or wanting to explain the events to her new and _normal_ friend.

They were getting closer to the car now. "I'll drive." She volunteered, not thinking Terry could do the simple task with his frantic mind. Without question, he passed the keys to her as they got into the vehicle. Terry quickly put his seatbelt on and locked the windows and doors, though Dianne knew that would be no match for the creatures. "Where is your house?" He mumbled out an address and she brought the car to drive.

The silence in the car didn't last long as Terry broke out in other rumblings. "And what about those _things_!? They were huge! They looked like beasts!"

Wolves – their protectors.

She had to bite her lip from arguing with him, those beasts happen to be her family and friends. "They saved our lives." She quietly voiced, not wanting to argue with him.

"Or maybe the person was just closer to them? An easy target! We could have been next if we waited around and…"

Her fingers tightened on the stirring wheel as his conversation continued, she tried to drown out his worries because they were unnecessary. Yes, she was worried but not about their safety. Her thoughts on the wolves chasing after the vampire and Paul's voice echoing in her mind.

They pulled into his driveway, Terry still talking to himself while Dianne unclipped her seatbelt to exit the car, when something he said caught her attention. " _What_?"

"I said, we should report the animals to the police, they were headed to Folks." He stepped out of the car, panic running through Dianne as she thought of a patrol in the woods with her wolves.

" _No_." She disagreed with him, making the man turn to her in surprise.

"No? There needs to be a search party for that man."

"You need to forget about it." The panic still gripping her at the thought of discovery.

"I need to forget?" Terry asked confused at the behaviour of the woman.

With more force behind her words, an electrifying sensation filled her body. "You need to forget about todays events."

"I need to forget about todays events." He repeated in a soft tone with dazed eyes.

"Go in the house and play a video game."

"Go in the house and play a video game." He repeated once again before walking up the steps to his front door and entering without a further word.

A sickness swirled in her stomach as she realised what she'd done - her emotions had taken over and opened her magic without her fully realising it. With unsteady feet, she quickly left the front yard of Terry's place and headed for the forest.

She got a few meters into the woods before she had to pause against a tree, her stomach rolling before it emptied itself out onto the forest floor. She felt light-headed and tired as she tried to ease her stomach. She crossed her arms over her head on the tree and using them as a pillow to rest her spinning head.

Taking deep breaths, she slowly eased the faintness as she listened to her surroundings. The forest seem to be alive with birds in the distance, a cool breeze brushing against her skin, the rough bark underneath her arms and the scent of pine that encircled her. She lifted her head and focused on the sunlight flickering through the tree limbs. She locked the chilling events into the corner of her mind as she focused on the here and now – like getting out of the forest before something else found her.

 _Go home_ – Paul's words slipped through her guard, reminding her what she needed. Without a backward glance in Terry' s house, she broke out into a jog towards the safest place for a witch – the house enclosed by magical wards.

Once entering the house, she felt her heaving chest settle to a regular beat, but she couldn't physically relax knowing that a vampire knew _her_ name. " _Dianne_." She couldn't prevent the small jump at hearing her mother call from the attic.

She slowly made her way upstairs and walked straight into the attic, the door staying open ever since she'd opened the magic swimming in her veins. "Yes?" She took a seat on the stool while her mother turned from a basin of water.

"You were lucky today." The older witch remarked.

"Do we really need to talk about this now?" She felt mentally and physically drained after the events.

"If you're to swindle with magic, then you need to listen."

"I wouldn't have anything to do with magic if-"

Irene interrupted. "If you weren't curious?" She raised an eyebrow at the younger woman. "Remember that everything you can do, so can I."

Dianne cast her eyes down, knowing that she had been disrespectful to her mother and descendants. "What happened today?" The one questioned swirling around her thoughts.

"Your emotions were running on a high and your body reacted to protect yourself," Irene answered, knowing that until her daughter could control her power that emotions would be subject to it. "For example, the vampire attacking made you fear and prevented-"

"How do you know about that?" She questioned, knowing her mother hadn't been present in the forest.

"There is a great deal happening in our little corner of the chess game, I was merely following a lead that crossed paths with you."

"Like a glass ball?" Dianne imagined those clear balls that one would see at the carnivals.

"More a basin of water, anything containing water actually."

"So you can see the future?"

"Not the future, but current moments. Knowing the future can be a deadly tool, somethings are better left unchanged." Irene licked her dry lips, preparing herself for the next slice of information. "But some can… develop such skills from vampires."

"Develop?"

"Witches have known to takes a vampires skill to harness for themselves, which goes against our beliefs." Irene warned. "You were close to doing that today."

"And Terry?" The churning of her stomach effecting her again.

"Your power was lingering on the surface, your emotions stirred it."

"I knew it felt wrong." Dianne tried to explain. "But I couldn't let him tell the authorities." She looked down at her hands. "They would have hurt _Paul_ , the pack." She enforced her reasoning.

"You don't know that." She put a comforting hand on her daughters. "If it had been explained to him, he could have kept the secret, like so many do today."

"Who?"

"Many are my age, the new generation isn't as observant, though social media has made it difficult in keeping secrets."

"How do you tell someone?" She could hardly wrap her mind around it, how could she have explained the supernatural side to someone else.

"Any of the council members, or _Sam_." Irene started tidying up some of the jars on the table to put back on the shelf. "He has had a lot of experience with introducing members to this life."

"Right, Sam." She hadn't had a real conversation with him since pairing with Emily. There was a time when she couldn't get rid of the gentle man at her Aunt's house.

"He is a great man, fate had different plans for him."

"Of course, _fate_." She was starting to dislike that word. "I'm going to make a cuppa." She stood to leave the room, only to have her mother call once again.

" _Remember_ , don't let your emotions control you." Irene warned, remembering her own experience as a youngster.

"I'll practice." She promised before leaving the attic.

She was coming down the stairs when the front door suddenly opened, she paused as she felt the energy rolling from him. Paul didn't bother about personal space as he came to stand an inch from her, his hands slightly shaking. "I thought I told _you_ to stay out of mischief."

"That was only for the other day?" She meant it as a statement but it slipped out as a question as he gazed at her intensely.

"Not with your scent." She would have taken offense to that if he didn't bend his head into the curve of her shoulder and breath deeply. His hands moved to hold her hips, squeezing them softly as she noticed that his body had stopped vibrating.

"Catnip." She recalled Leah's conversation in the forest, her scent to vampires….and Paul seem to have an effect. "But you're a dog." She remarked, trying to bring some light to the matter.

A growl rumbled through his chest while his head remained in its position at her neck. She hesitantly moved her arms around his shoulders, running her fingers through his hair. She felt the tension in his body relax and his hands lower to her backside. She was tempted to say something about his hands but ignored it and gave into the feelings that spread through her body – comfort and safety. It was reassuring after the events of the day with the near miss with the vampire and outbursts of powers.

"You smell like him." Paul pulled away, checking her over.

She wasn't sure who he meant by 'him' – the vampire or Terry. Either one wouldn't be ideal for the way he was checking her over. "You guys got there in time." She reminded him softly.

There was an unhappy twitch of his mouth before he grabbed her hand and started leading them out to her car. "Sam wants to talk you."

"Sam?"

"Leader of the pack." Paul opened the passenger door for her. "There are some things that need to be discussed."

" _Oh_." She signed before putting her seat belt on – today seemed to be one of those days.

"You were lucky." He muttered once getting into the driver's side and putting the car into drive.

"I shouldn't have taken him into the forest."

" _You_ shouldn't have been there," Paul argued back. "We have bloody new borns left, right and center."

"New borns?" She wasn't familiar with the term.

"Recently bitten, their abilities are heightened and they're unpredictable."

She read between the lines. "Harder to kill?"

His hand thumped on the stirring wheel in frustration. " _Unpredictable_." He didn't like the idea of a bloodsucker getting the upper hand on him.

"Be gentle, that's my car your beating up." She teased, trying to get him to relax but he only grunted at her.

"That's the least of your worries." He remarked, thinking once again of the vampire in the forest standing a couple of feet from his imprint. His imprint who was still learning the ropes in this world, and the Folks mind reader bloodsucker was pushing his limits with his suggestions.


End file.
